An Unexpected Union
by Tertullian
Summary: In the wake of his success at Cyllage City, Ash is in the mood to celebrate. But a reunion with an old friend brings an unexpected change into Ash's life. [Amourshipping]
1. Good News From a Far Country

**Hey everyone, this is my first Pokémon fic and is definitely Amourshipping. While the title of this fic is inspired by the title of Chapter 1 in _The Hobbit,_ the fics chapter titles are all inspired by Bible verses. Nevertheless, this story doesn't include any explicit religious or spiritual themes. If you cannot abide either of these things I wish you well and encourage you to find another story to read. Constructive criticism however is greatly appreciated.**

**This story is almost entirely complete and is approximately 60k words long. It is split into 16 chapters and a brief epilogue. No sequel is planned at this point, though I may write a follow-up one-shot or two. I plan on posting a few chapters a week until the entire story is published.**

**This story tries to stay as faithful to the general background, events, and even feel of the canon anime universe. ****There are some elements I have tweaked however and others where I have put my own spin. All this said, I have not seen the B&W side story episode involving Brock nor did I see the _Cave of Mirrors _prior to writing this story. Thus, nothing from either of them is incorporated into this story. **

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash would actually age, wouldn't get beaten by a Level 5 Snivy, and certainly wouldn't know less about romance now than he seems to in the Original Series. As such this story is purely for enjoyment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. _

_This story includes events from the episode _A Battle by Any Other Name. _Plot elements and dialogue from that episode are also not mine. Chapters with such elements will be marked accordingly though individual pieces of dialogue will not be._

_"Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."_ - Proverbs 25:25

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><p>There is something about winning that makes the good things in life seem better. Air is sweeter, food is tastier, and even the sun shines a little brighter. In the wake of his successful Cyllage City Gym battle, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town was enjoying every minute of this post victory rapture. Grant had not been an easy opponent, making the thrill of triumph that much more intense.<p>

As Ash and his friends were making the long trek down from the Gym back to Cyllage City proper, the air was thick with excitement. Bonnie was as upbeat and giddy as Ash, gushing with emotion as she recalled Pikachu's harrowing Rock Tomb climb. Clemont added a number of insightful comments on both Ash and Grant's strategies, peppering in a few suggestions for improvement. Even Serena was contributing to the conversation, expressing admiration for Ash's determination and asking a question or two about Ash and Grant's battling techniques.

Yet as the day grew long and the Pokémon Center grew closer, the group lapsed into a comfortable silence. Even Bonnie quieted as the group simply enjoyed the fading light of the day and wondered what adventures tomorrow would bring.

With a whoosh the doors of the Pokémon Center slid open and the four young travelers walked inside, pausing just inside the doors. Serena spoke first.

"It's already about dinner time…what do you guys say we get something to eat?"

"Sounds good to me," Clemont replied.

"Me too," squeaked Bonnie.

"I'll join you guys in a bit," said Ash, "I want to send a quick email to mom, let her know I won my second Kalos Gym battle. Can you guys take Pikachu though? I'm pretty sure he'll be happier getting started on dinner."

"That's so sweet Ash," exclaimed Serena. "I'll bet your mom will be really proud of you!"

"We can take Pikachu Ash, no problem. See you soon," added Clement with a nod.

As the three others and Pikachu walked away, Ash went up to one of the public computers in the lobby and quickly logged into his email account. After clearing away dozens of junk messages and vowing for the hundredth time to check his email more often, Ash quickly scanned the past few weeks' worth of "actual" emails. There were updates from Iris and Cilan, a message from Professor Oak, and a number of others, all of which he would get to later. Just as he was about to start writing his mother, the subject line "Coming to Kalos" caught his eye and he quickly opened the email

_Ash,_

_No idea when you'll get this; I remember how traveling can be, especially with you. But I wanted to give you a heads up that I'll actually be coming to Kalos soon. All Pokémon medical students have to do rotations at hospitals for a few months every year to get some hands on experience. As luck would have it I was placed in St. James' Pokémon Hospital, which is Lumiose City's largest Pokémon hospital. (Okay, so it wasn't exactly luck, they have a great program and when I heard you were off in Kalos I figured win-win) _

_Of course I'll be busy working most of the time, but I made sure to arrange it so I would have an extra week at both the beginning and the end of my time in Kalos. I've got my driver's license now so it should be relatively easy for me to get to you if you're anywhere near a city or town. I hope we'll be able to link up. It's been too long buddy!_

_-Brock_

Immediate following the signature was Brock's flight info. Checking the calendar quickly, Ash chuckled as he realized Brock was due to arrive in Lumiose City in three days. Muttering to himself about being better late than never, Ash typed out a quick response.

_Brock,_

_Great to hear from you buddy! It's definitely been too long. Sorry about the late response, been really busy traveling. Kalos is awesome! I've made some good friends, caught some Kalos Pokémon, and just won my second badge at the Cyllage City Gym. You'd love it, it's a Rock type Gym. It even has a real climbing wall; you've got to make it all the way to the top before you can battle. Glad your Gym didn't have one, I don't think I would have been able to make the climb back in the day._

_If you can make it down to Cyllage City after your flight gets in me and my new traveling buddies can stick around here and meet you. Otherwise I want to head off to the next Gym and we can try to meet up after you finish at the hospital. Can't say for sure if we'd pass by Lumiose City while you're still there._

_-Ash_

As soon as he clicked send, Ash's stomach gave quite a rumble. Rubbing it with his left hand, he used his right to click out of his email. Sighing and adjusting his hat, Ash turned and walked to the Pokémon Center's cafeteria. Striding in he quickly spotted his friends sitting at a table in the middle of the room. He also noticed that was already a plate of food waiting for them there. Hoping it was still warm, he quickly made his way over and sat next to Pikachu.

"Hey guys! Dinner looks good." Ash sat down and, in typical Ash fashion, immediately began digging into his food, devouring it with a gusto that rivaled a rampaging Snorlax.

"I was worried your food was going to get cold," Serena started. Pausing, she continued. "That took a while, is everything alright? Or did you decide to call your mom instead?"

"Uhh…" Ash muttered sheepishly, "Actually I kinda forgot to email her."

"What?! Then what were you doing?" Serena wasn't exactly surprised that Ash could be forgetful, but she was sensitive to this particular shortcoming. After all, she had remembered Ash with fondness for years and had gone out of her way to track him down when she had learned he was in Kalos…only to discover he had almost completely forgotten her.

"Well, that's the good news. I actually got a message from Brock."

"Isn't he the first Gym leader you traveled with?" Clemont interjected.

"Yeah. We traveled together all over Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. After we finished our Sinnoh journey he started studying to be a Pokémon Doctor. Actually, that's why he emailed. He's going to be working at St. James' Pokémon Hospital in Lumiose City for the next few months."

"Really? Well, I'll have to let dad know. I'm sure he'll be happy to show Brock around the city."

Bonnie's face lit up and she started flailing wildly. "Yeah! Our dad has lived in Lumiose City forever, he can definitely help your friend out!"

"Thanks guys, I'm sure he'd love that. All three of you have been such a big help since I've come here."

All three of Ash's Kalos companions smiled and thanked Ash for the compliment. Serena had a bit of pink in the cheek at this and hope fervently that no one else noticed.

"The better news is you might get to meet him soon. He's due to arrive in Kalos in a few days but has a whole week here before he starts work. I wrote back asking him to let me know if can make it here after his flight gets in. If he can, I said we would stick around here for a bit longer. That is, if you guys don't mind."

Clemont nodded his head and adjusted his glasses. "Sure Ash. I for one look forward to meeting another of your traveling companions. Former Gym Leader and aspiring Pokémon Doctor…sounds intriguing."

"Sounds great!" Serena flashed Ash a brilliant smile.

Bonnie beamed. "So cool! I can't wait to ask him to share a bunch of really embarrassing stories about you!"

"Now Bonnie," started Clemont.

Ash put up his hand, motioning Clemont to stop. "No need to worry Clemont. Believe me, there are plenty of stories to tell." Turning down to his partner, Ash continued. "Did you hear that Pikachu? Brock's coming for a visit!"

At Pikachu's joyful response the entire group laughed. The foursome continued to eat and chat, taking it easy after a long day. As the meal wound down, each member of the group became increasingly gripped by excitement at the prospect of Brock's visit. Yet while the others chatted about it excitedly, Serena was lost in thought. One thing kept going through her mind: this was her chance. In traveling with Ash she had heard about all his previous traveling companions…but she was particularly interested in learning more about the female ones.

Misty, May, Dawn, Iris…she'd heard the names and even seen pictures. All of them were beautiful and Ash had something positive to say about all of them. And she had precisely zero clue as to whether or not Ash had ever liked or dated any of them. For all she knew he could still be dating one of them. She'd been too shy to ask Ash her questions directly…as dense as he was, he was bound to pick up on something that obvious.

Brock's visit would present a golden opportunity. Not only would it look perfectly natural to ask him about Ash's past adventures, but even if he did clue in to her motive, he would only be here for a few days. She wouldn't have to stand the embarrassment or pressure of him knowing for too long before he'd be gone and things would go back to the way they were. Excited at the prospect, Serena began to rehearse in her head precisely how she would subtly wheedle the information out of Brock.

There was, of course, no way for Serena to know that Brock's visit would bring a sea of change to her and Ash's relationship and that things would never be the same again.

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><p><strong>This chapter is a bit short to start out. Will have up the next chapter relatively soon to help balance this.<strong>


	2. Brothers of Adversity

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did we'd still be listening to the original dub cast. Though I have to admit the quality of the current cast has improved over time.  
><em>

_"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."_ - Proverbs 17:17

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><p>When he checked his email the next morning, Ash was ecstatic to find a reply from Brock already waiting in his inbox. After sending a brief reply to confirm they'd wait for him, Ash dashed off to the cafeteria to share the news with everyone else. Brock's plan was to rent a car at the Lumiose Airport and, after getting settled in at the hospital dorm, he would drive straight to Cyllage City. Factoring in the time it would take to pick up the car, drop most of his stuff in the dorm, and then drive to Cyllage City, Brock estimated that he would arrive late the next night.<p>

After explaining all this to his friends, Ash raised the question of just what to do over the next two days. This discussion lasted for some time, with various suggestions thrown out. By the end of the meal though, the four friends had settled on a tentative plan. As Ash returned to the buffet for one last helping, Serena and the others went to reserve a room for Brock with Nurse Joy. Ash joined them in the lobby a few minutes later and they all left the Pokémon Center.

Ash, Serena, and Clemont spent that morning and the next one training together. Bonnie was always nearby, sometimes watching, sometimes playing with Dedenne. The group spent the two afternoons on individual pursuits, splitting up after lunch and reuniting for dinner. Clemont spent both afternoons holed up in the Pokémon Center, tinkering on a few new inventions. Bonnie and Serena wandered around the city, alternating between shopping and simply soaking in the charming atmosphere for which Kalos is famous the world over. Ash joined the girls briefly on the first afternoon, but, growing bored, quickly split off to go do some more training, eager both to get ready for the next Gym and to impress Brock with how far his battling skills had progressed since Sinnoh. The second day he began training right after lunch…that is, after finally replying to over a months' worth of emails.

In all his travels Ash had never bothered with getting a cell phone, which meant that it was Serena's phone that chirped with Brock's text early in the afternoon of the second day. Unlike Ash, Brock had long ago seen the wisdom of getting a phone. His text let Serena know that, if everything went smoothly, he'd be arriving at Cyllage City around ten that evening. After quickly typing a reply, she turned to Bonnie and shared the news. Bonnie's reaction was both swift and ecstatic.

"Oh boy, I can't wait! I wish he could get here faster!"

"Don't worry Bonnie, he'll be here soon. It's a good thing he decided to come on a Saturday…otherwise, with the rush hour traffic in Lumiose City, he'd be lucky to make it here by midnight."

Bonnie pursed her lips and sighed. "I can't help it, I really want to show him Dedenne. Ash has said he's never seen a Fairy type before!"

Serena didn't have the heart to tell the little girl that Dedenne didn't really look so different from Pikachu or that many Pokémon from other regions had been recently reclassified as Fairy types. Instead she said "I'm sure he'll be impressed with how well you are taking care of him. After all, he was a Pokémon Breeder before he decided to go into medicine. And I'm sure that, with his help, you'll be able to do even better."

Bonnie beamed. "Oh boy, now I really can't wait!" She began jumping up and down, unable to contain her joy. Bonnie's joy was infectious and after a few seconds Serena began to laugh as well. Watching Bonnie, Serena couldn't help thinking of Ash. His passionate and excitable nature was quite endearing. Thinking about Ash and the possibilities Brock's visit would open up sent her own excitement spiraling upward. Grabbing Bonnie's hands, the two girls began to dance around in a circle, oblivious to the looks they were getting.

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><p>"In 0.7 miles exit left," trilled the distinctly clipped feminine voice.<p>

The young man in the car sighed in relief. It had been a long day. He'd tried to catch some sleep on the plane but, as usual, hadn't been able to get more than a few winks. But as much as he was looking forward to hitting the sack, he was even more excited to see Ash again. Ever since their first meeting at the Pewter City Gym, Ash had been a huge part of Brock's life. Though their paths had finally taken them in different directions, their time together had created a bond that was indissoluble. Words couldn't express how much he'd missed his old friend and how much he was looking forward to spending some time with him again.

"Exit now," repeated the voice.

Shaking himself from his reverie, Brock turned the car off the main highway and onto the local route that connected to Cyllage City. Before long he was gliding to a halt in front of the Cyllage City Pokémon Center. After putting the car in park and removing the key from the ignition, he grabbed his backpack with one hand and opened the door with the other. Closing the door and slinging the backpack over his shoulders, Brock strode toward the doors of the Center and a long awaited reunion.

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><p>It was getting quite late, especially for a group of travelers used to rising with the sun. After dinner the foursome had decided to wait for Brock in the seating area within the Pokémon Center's lobby. Bonnie had long ago abandoned all pretense of staying awake and was snuggled firmly against her brother's shoulder. Forced to sit still to keep Bonnie from waking, Clemont himself had quickly succumbed to slumber as well. The two were now curled together comfortably on the couch in a pose even the most unsentimental soul would find endearing.<p>

Serena was scrolling through her electronic guidebook, half browsing, half dozing. Pikachu had found a comfortable spot beside Bonnie and Clemont and was fast asleep as well. Even Nurse Joy had her head down on her desk, a telltale sign of a late but peaceful night. Only Ash still showed any signs of vigor; in fact, he had been pacing back and forth for quite some time, glancing at the clock every few minutes. Brock had sent them an updated estimated arrival time, but that had come and gone half an hour ago.

Without warning the doors the Pokémon Center slid open and in walked a dark skinned young man. His spiky brown hair was a bit disheveled and his clothes were rumpled, telltale signs of a long day's journey. Yet when his eyes alit upon Ash, his tired expression brightened and he began to walk over. It took a few seconds for Ash to notice the figure's approach. When he did he issued a whoop and broke into a run, quickly closing the distance between them.

Ash's exclamation startled Serena, jarring her back into full consciousness. Quickly realizing what was going on, she got up from her chair and walked over to Bonnie and Clemont. "Wake up you two, he's here," Serena said, gently shaking the siblings awake.

Turning back, Serena was startled to see Ash and Brock locked in a close hug. She'd never seen Ash express such affection before…at least, never to anyone but Pikachu. Her heart beating just a little bit faster, she began to walk over to join them.

"Hey Ash, it's been a while."

"You bet it has! So glad you could make it!"

"Yeah, same here." He then noticed a pretty young girl walking over. She looked about Ash's age. Her round face was framed with long dirty blonde hair and her eyes were a bright sky blue. She was also quite fashionably dressed, with a black top, red skirt, black stockings, and a pink hat. Stopping beside them, she smiled and said, "You must be Brock. I'm Serena."

"Pleasure to meet you Serena," Brock smiled, nodding his head in greeting.

"Brock, you'll never guess this, but I've known Serena even longer than you!" started Ash excitedly.

Serena chuckled and blushed a bit, something that did not go unnoticed by Brock. He turned to face her. "Really?"

"Yeah. We met at Professor Oak's Summer Camp a long time ago. But someone," she glared at Ash at this point, "forgot all about me!" She softened her expression. "At least at first."

"Typical Ash," Brock replied, chuckling. "I've lost track of the number of birthdays and holidays this kid has forgotten…he wouldn't even remember to change his underwear without his mom reminding him."

"Hey!" Ash exclaimed as he swatted Brock playfully, "just because mom says that doesn't make it true."

Before Brock could issue a retort a yellow blur leapt up from the ground straight into his arms. He looked down and spotted another old friend. "Hey Pikachu buddy! Good to see you too!" He rubbed the Mouse Pokémon's cheeks, eliciting a contented "Cha." After a moment to get reacquainted, Brock handed Pikachu back to Ash. As he did so he noticed a teenaged boy and young girl walking up to them. Both had fair skin and light blonde hair. The boy was taller and wearing a blue mechanic's coveralls and round glasses. The shorter and clearly younger of the pair was wearing a black sleeveless top with a poofy white skirt.

Extending his hand in greeting the teen said, "I'm Clemont. A pleasure to meet you. And this is…"

"I'm his sister Bonnie. I'm so happy to meet you! Were you really a Gym Leader like my big brother?"

Bending down a bit and shaking her hand as well, Brock replied. "Pleasure to meet you Bonnie. And yes, I was a Gym Leader back in Kanto before I started traveling with Ash. So," turning to Clemont, he continued, "you were also a Gym Leader."

"Well," Clemont paused briefly and adjusted his glasses, "technically I still am. But meeting Ash made me realize that I have a lot more to learn. A journey seemed the best way to do that. "

"Then who's running your Gym?"

"I'm glad you asked Brock. See, I'm not just a Gym Leader…I'm an inventor. So I built a robot with state of the art artificial intelligence to conduct Gym battles for me while I'm gone."

"Sounds cool."

"Yeah big brother, until it locked us out of the Gym and we had to sneak back in with Ash and Serena's help."

"Really?" Brock cocked his head in a gesture of surprise. "That sounds like an interesting story."

"It was. See Ash…" started Bonnie before a monstrous yawn forced its way out of her throat. The rest of the group yawned as well and then all chuckled.

"I'd love to hear about it," said Brock, smiling "but it sounds like we could all use a nice rest. I know I sure can."

"Don't worry Brock, I booked you a room myself," started Serena, glancing sideways at Ash as she did so. "Unfortunately this Pokémon Center doesn't have any five-person rooms so I reserved you a single. Hope you don't mind!"

"That'll be fine."

"Great! Let's go see Nurse Joy then."

The group made their way over to Nurse Joy. Like all Nurse Joys, Cyllage City's Nurse Joy had mastered the art of both catching sleep whenever possible and being able to wake at the slightest disturbance. Brock's arrival and the subsequent conversation had brought her back from the world of dreams to reality. By the time the group began to walk up, she stood alert and smiling.

"Hello and welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"

"Hi Nurse Joy. You should have a reservation in my name for a single. Brock Harrison."

"Actually, it's just Brock," Serena interjected. "Didn't know his last name."

"No problem. I've already found it here in the computer. Single room for at least one night. Here's your key. Go down that hallway and take a left and it will be on your right. Room 7."

"Thanks Nurse Joy. You have a good evening." He turned to the others. "Let's meet in the cafeteria tomorrow for breakfast. It's been a long day for everyone so how's 9:00 AM sound?"

Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all smiled and nodded. Brock waved to them and began walking to his room, which was in the opposite direction of theirs. The others started back to their room, only to stop when they realized Ash wasn't following. Turning, they were all surprised to see a look of confusion on Ash's face.

"Something wrong Ash," Serena asked.

"Uh…either Brock's really really tired or something is definitely wrong."

"What do you mean?" Worry clouded her face.

"The way he spoke with Nurse Joy was just…strange."

"What do you mean Ash?" This time it was Clemont who expressed confusion. "It sounded perfectly normal to me."

"For a regular person, sure. Not for Brock."

"How do his interactions with her usually go then?"

"Uh…it's kind of hard to describe." Yawning he continued. "Never mind, he was probably just too tired. Let's all head off to bed!"

With that, Ash began striding off quickly toward the room and, when realizing that there was no other information forthcoming, the other three started after him.

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><p><strong>Well, that's all for now. Will try to get up a few chapters over the next week. <strong>


	3. Deep Waters of the Heart

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash would talk to and about his old friends more often._

"_The purpose in a man's __heart__ is like deep water, but a man of __understand__ing will draw it out."_ - Proverbs 20:5

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><p>When Ash strode into the cafeteria early the next morning, he wasn't at all surprised to see Brock already there. After all, he had woken up early his first few days in Kalos; jet lag was one of the drawbacks of traveling to a region so far from home. What he was surprised to see was Nurse Joy sitting with him. The two were chatting in a relaxed way, something Ash had never seen happen before. In fact, the only time he'd seen anything approaching a normal conversation between Brock and Nurse Joy was when a Pokémon's health was on the line, and that certainly wasn't the case here.<p>

Catching sight of Ash, Brock waved him over, snapping Ash out of his reverie. Nurse Joy turned as well and, seeing Ash, quickly stood up. "With the other guests getting up I really should be getting back to work. Thanks for the talk Brock. And I'll be sure to let my sister and cousins know to look you up when you get to Lumiose City." Turning to Ash, Nurse Joy made a little bow. "Good morning! The cafeteria will be open in just a little while."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Ash sat down and, after Nurse Joy was some distance away, turned to Brock and asked, "So, what's with that?"

"Oh, we were just 'talking shop.' Plus she promised she'd have her relatives show me around Lumiose City when I get back. It's quite a big city and it's easy to get lost in, so it'll be nice to have some help."

"Not that, I mean you talking to Nurse Joy without professing your undying love. That's a new one on me."

Brock chuckled. "Well Ash, I wouldn't get very far as a Pokémon Doctor if I did that to every Nurse Joy that walked by. It's all part of growing up…" Brock smiled. "That and being threatened with expulsion from med school after only a few days because I was 'behaving unprofessionally.'"

"I kinda figured something like that must have happened."

"Say, where's Pikachu?"

"Still in bed. Everyone was taking a little nap before you arrived last night. I guess they all must have had trouble falling back asleep."

"Either that or you were just too excited to stay in bed."

"Maybe." He adjusted his hat. "So, how are things back in Kanto?"

Over the next little while the two old friends caught up. Brock updated Ash on what had happened since the last time they had spoken. Forrest was still doing a great job running the Gym in Pewter City. Even though Brock's medical studies were getting more time consuming and difficult, he was enjoying them, confident that he had made the right choice. He saw Misty, Tracey, Professor Oak, and Ash's mother from time to time, but nowhere near as often as he would like.

Then it was Ash's turn. He filled Brock in on how the rest of his Unova journey went, then discussed his adventures through the Decolore Islands, and finally recounted his travels through Kalos thus far. As he was finishing up the story of his recent victory over Grant, he noticed Bonnie and Clemont walking up with Pikachu trailing behind. Seeing his trainer, Pikachu broke into a bit of a run and leapt up into Ash's hands. After greeting his number one partner, Ash turned to the two siblings.

"Morning guys! Sleep well?"

"Morning Ash," Clemont yawned, still a bit groggy. "I had a bit of trouble falling asleep at first, but overall it was restful."

"I was just too excited to sleep! Dedenne too." At the sound of its name, Dedenne poked its head outside of its pouch and chattered.

Brock looked closely. "Wow, I've never see that Pokémon before. So it's called Dedenne?"

"Yeah, this is Dedenne. Clemont's keeping it for me until I'm old enough to be a trainer, but I'm allowed to take care of it. So what do you think? How am I doing?"

Smiling, Brock gestured. "Well, why doesn't Dedenne come out and I'll have a look."

Taking Dedenne out of her pouch, Bonnie placed him on the table in front of Brock. Brock reached out his hand and, needing no more encouragement, Dedenne scampered up Brock's right arm and across his back, coming to a stop on Brock's left shoulder.

"Here," said Bonnie, reaching out with a treat in her hand, "take this."

Brock took the treat from Bonnie and lifted it to Dedenee's mouth. The Antenna Pokémon chattered excitedly and then gobbled it down quickly. Muttering contentedly, it then made a move towards Brock's cheek.

"It's real…" Brock's affectionate comment was interrupted with a chorus of "Nos" from the others, but it was too late. Brock experienced a sudden jolt of electricity as Dedenne's Nuzzle took effect. While Brock was still dazed, Bonnie reached out and quickly took Dedenne back in her hands, placing it back in her pouch.

"I'm realllly sorry about that Brock!" Bonnie bowed in contrition.

Brock shook himself a few times then smiled. "Ha, no worries. After traveling with Pikachu so long and working with all kinds of Pokémon at the hospital it takes much more than that to upset me. Besides, now I can answer your question."

Bonnie looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well," started Brock, "a Pokémon's Attack power can say a lot about how well it has been raised. I may never have seen a Dedenne before, but for something so small to be able to deliver such a powerful jolt means it's been raised well. You should be proud."

"Yipee!" Bonnie exclaimed, doing a little leap for joy.

"So, where's Serena?" Brock asked.

"Still getting ready I think," Clemont replied. "She does like her showers. I think she's still getting used to going without them when we're on the road."

Ash smiled. "Reminds you of Dawn, doesn't it Brock? Except Serena doesn't have a Piplup to help her with her hair every morning."

Laughing, Brock nodded. "Sounds like it. So, should we wait for her or get started with breakfast?"

The loud grumbling of Ash's stomach at that precise moment answered that question. After commenting about how some things never change, Brock led the rest of them to get some food. Serena joined them a few minutes later, prim and well-dressed as usual. The five enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast. Eventually the topic of conversation turned to the subject of what to do next.

"Brock's only in town a few days," started Serena, "so I think he should get to decide."

"Well, I'm really okay with anything."

"Nonsense Brock," she responded emphatically "you're visiting our region and coming to help out Pokémon. So it's really up to you!"

"I agree" added Clemont. "In Kalos we pride ourselves on being great hosts, especially to people from far away. So, what would you like to do?"

Brock leaned back a bit in his chair. "Well, as nice as it is to sleep in a bed, I kind of miss the old days. So, it'd be nice to spend a few days camping out. Plus, it would give me a great opportunity to see some new Pokémon. I'm particularly interested in seeing some Fairy types and, of course, any Rock type Pokémon native to the Kalos region."

At this Clemont lowered his fork from his mouth. "Well Brock, you've already seen at least one Kalos fairy type."

"Really? But the only Kalos Pokemon I've seen so far is Bonnie's Dedenne."

"Dedenne's a Fairy type silly!" Bonnie giggled.

"Really?"

"Indeed," went Clemont. "And we're not too far from Reflection Cave. There's a number of Rock type Pokémon there. Most of course can be found in other regions, but I'm pretty sure there's at least one or two varieties that you won't be able to find outside of Kalos."

"Cool. I figured we would do some traveling outdoors so I brought my gear," motioning to his backpack "just in case."

"Really?" Serena expressed surprise. She hadn't even packed a tent when setting off on her journey; to hear that someone else had brought along a ton of gear for a week-long visit boggled the mind.

"Yeah," nodded Ash, "Brock's really good about those things. When I was traveling with him we never had to worry about anything. Brock was always super organized and made sure we had everything we needed. Plus, he's an excellent chef."

"Amazing!" Serena smiled. _"This might work out even better than I imagined,"_ she mused. _"Not only can I find out if Ash has a girlfriend, but everyone knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach…and that clearly goes double for Ash."_ Out loud she said, "Maybe you can give me some pointers. I'm honestly not that good of a cook and would love to learn from a master."

"Hey, that's not true Serena!" Ash expressed shock. "You make the best macarons ever!"

She chuckled. "That's baking Ash, not cooking," she said, wagging her finger. She was however quite pleased with the praise.

"What's the difference?" Ash looked confused.

"Serena's right Ash," Brock said, nodding in agreement, "there's a big difference between cooking and baking." Turning to Serena, Brock continued. "I'd be happy to teach you a thing or two. Of course, I won't just teach about cooking for people; I can share some tips to help you prepare food for your Pokémon as well." He paused, a curious expression on his face. "Say, what Pokémon do you have?"

"Only a Fennekin. It's one of the starter Pokémon new trainers can get here in Kalos."

"Hey, I've got it," Brock said. "Looks like everyone's finished with breakfast. Before we really get going let's bring all the Pokémon out and introduce them to one another!"

"An excellent idea," supplied Clemont.

"So Brock," started Ash, "who did you bring with you? Or did you leave everyone at home?"

"I left most of them at home with Forrest…but I did bring two Pokémon with me."

"Really, who?" Ash was eager to know.

Smiling mischievously Brock said, "You'll just have to wait and see."

The decision made, the group then moved to clear their plates and returned to their rooms to gather their things. After checking out of their rooms and returning their keys, the group left the Pokémon Center and headed out into the city. After a brief detour to drop off Brock's rental car, the group began to make their way towards Reflection Cave. Once they were clear of the city, they decided to take a brief break and, as Brock suggested earlier, let their Pokémon out.

Serena went first. Winding up and then tossing, she called "Fennekin, come on out."

The Pokeball open and after a shimmering light Fennekin appeared. Brock smiled at the appearance of the Fox Pokémon. Bending down, he smiled. "So, this is Fennekin. A Fire type I'm guessing."

"That's right! Fennekin and I may not have been traveling together very long, but we're already really close. Isn't that right Fennekin?" Serena winked, smiling at her Pokémon partner.

"Fenne" the Fire type responded affectionately, smiling.

Clemont adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Now it's our turn. Come on out everyone!" Clemont tossed two Pokeballs into the air. When his two Pokémon had materialized, Clemont continued. "This is Bunnleby, a Normal type," he said pointing to gray-furred Pokémon with long ears, "and this is Chespin, a Grass type." Both the Pokémon smiled and greeted Brock affectionately.

"Now it's my turn." Turning his hat sideways and bending down, Ash pulled out and enlarged his Pokeballs. "Froakie, Fletchling, I choose you!" Ash's two Kalos Pokemon materialized immediately. One was a small Flying type with red feathers that flew with an impressive speed. The other was a blue reptilian Pokémon with an aloof disposition and a white mane that looked like the ruff of an Elizabethan gentleman.

"Everyone, I'm Brock and I'm studying to be a Pokémon Doctor. Ash and I traveled together for a real long time and he's a good friend of mine. Now I want to introduce you to my Pokémon partners. Alright you two, let's go!" With that, Brock tossed out his two Pokeballs.

Two round Pokémon emerged. One was large and oval shaped, with pink skin and a white egg at the center of its stomach. The other was more spherical and rock-like in appearance. "Everyone, this is Chansey and Forretress."

"That's right, your Happiny evolved." Ash smiled.

"It's so cute." Serena got out her Pokedex and pointed it at Chansey.

"_Chansey, the Egg Pokémon, and the evolved form of Happiny. Chansey is a kind Pokémon who shares its egg with those who are sick or injured."_

"Wow, it sounds like the perfect Pokémon for a Doctor. But who's that Pokémon," she asked and the pointed the Pokedex in the direction of Forretress.

"_Forretress, the Bagworm Pokémon. Forretress is the evolved form of Pineco. Its entire body is covered in a steel hard shell."_

"It sounds kind of scary," Bonnie commented.

"Nah, Forretress is a big softie," Brock responded. "Why don't you go over and say hi?"

Bonnie cautiously approached Forretress and put her hand on it. When it responded playfully Bonnie smiled. "Wow, it's soooo cute!"

One by one the various people and Pokémon spread out and started milling about, playing and chatting with one another. Serena and Brock unpacked some snacks and began to distribute them while Ash and Bonnie chased Pikachu, Dedenne, and Chespin around in an impromptu game of tag. All and all, everyone was having a good time and were happy to stay put, enjoying fine weather and even finer company.

After an hour or so of contented rest, Clemont broke the spell. "We probably should be getting back on the road. There's no way we can make it to Reflection Cave tonight, but if we make good progress today we should be able to get there sometime tomorrow."

"Sounds good Clemont," said Ash. "Okay everybody, return!"

The young Pokémon trainers all returned their various Pokémon, leaving only Dedenne, Pikachu, and Fennekin out. Fennekin staying out of her Pokeball for a long walk was unusual and Serena's choice to keep her out caught Ash's attention.

"Say Serena, why didn't you recall Fennekin?"

"Well Ash," she answered, "I was talking to Brock and he said that it would be a good idea to keep Fennekin out more often. That way we can build a stronger relationship quicker. Plus, it will help Fennekin gain some good experience!"

"Cool! Yeah, Brock's always got tips like that! I definitely miss having him around."

"Thanks Ash, that's nice of you to say." Brock said from behind. The two turned to look at him. He continued "I definitely miss you too but you don't really need me. You're a great Pokémon trainer yourself. You've grown and matured a lot since the beginning of your journey. Honestly, I'm interested to see what I'll learn from you during the next week."

"If only Misty could hear you say that!" Ash smiled.

Serena looked a bit uncomfortable at the mention of Misty, something that Brock noticed. Deciding to stir the pot a bit, he replied, "If Misty were here, she would definitely say the same thing. You're come a long way from being the kid that got her bike fried. Last time I was in Cerulean City she was telling me how her Gym has become known as one of Kanto's toughest…and that a lot of that was thanks to you. She learned a lot from traveling with you…May and Dawn as well." As he said this, Brock watched Serena carefully and picked up on the growing tension evident in her face.

"Wow, I wish she had said that to my face. All those times she hit me with that mallet…" Ash trailed off, rubbing his head with a wistful expression on his face. "Seriously though, I learned a lot from all of you as well. And I need to keep learning if I want to become a Pokémon Master! So let's get going." Turning, Ash began to march off in the direction of Reflection Cave, Pikachu trailing behind

Turning to the others, Brock smiled and said, "Come on guys, let's go. Can't keep the future Pokémon Master waiting!" They all smiled at this and began to hurry after Ash, not wanting to get too far behind.

It was sometime later in the day when Serena saw her opportunity. Fennekin had gotten a bit tired of all the walking so Serena had returned her to her Pokeball. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie were out front, excitedly debating the pros and cons of various Electric attacks. Not having much to contribute to that conversation, Serena fell back and began walking besides Brock. The two were walking close enough to see the rest of the group ahead but not so close that their conversation could be overheard.

"So Brock, I kind of wanted to ask you some questions."

"Sure Serena, what would you like to know? If it's about cooking I personally think it's best to learn by doing…"

"No," she quickly interrupted, "it's not about that, though I am looking forward to learning more. I was actually a bit curious about your journeys with Ash."

"Sure Serena, I'm happy to share. But why don't you just ask Ash yourself?" Brock had a feeling he knew where this was going but wanted to be sure.

"Well, I kind of wanted another perspective. I mean, Ash is great, but he kind of makes it sound like it was one battle after another."

Brock chuckled at this. "Well, it's true that we did a lot of battling. But there were other things too of course. When we traveled with May and Dawn we attended a lot of Pokémon Contests. Ash even competed in a few. Plus we ended up running into a lot of interesting people on the road and got into and out of all sorts of trouble."

"Wow, it sounds like Ash has seen and experienced a lot. And you were the one he traveled most with, right?" At his nod, she continued. "So, I know from traveling with Ash that he isn't the best when it comes with keeping in touch with his mom, let alone his friends. If I remember right he hadn't really talked to you since halfway through Unova. Is there anyone, uh, special that he actually does keep in regular touch with?"

Brock smiled, knowing he had her. "Well, now that you mention it…" he intentionally paused, gauging Serena's reaction. When he saw how nervous she looked, he resumed, "nope." He saw relief flood her face, confirming his suspicions beyond the shadow of a doubt. He decided to go for it.

"I think I know what you are asking."

Serena stopped walking abruptly. "What do you mean?" Worry was evident in her voice.

"It's simple. You wanted to ask if Ash has a girlfriend. The answer to that question is no."

"Why would I want to ask that," Serena stammered, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that you like him."

"Well, of course I like him," she chuckled nervously, "he's a really special friend of mine."

"I mean you have feelings for him…romantic feelings."

Knowing she was beaten, she sighed and resumed walking. "Am I really that obvious?"

"To Ash, of course not. To Bonnie and Clemont...can't say. But to someone with an outsider's perspective, yeah, it's pretty obvious. Especially since you started your Pokémon journey specifically to track down Ash."

At this Serena clucked her tongue in disagreement. "It wasn't just to find him. I mean, I honestly had been thinking about going on a journey for a while. See, my mom's a famous Rhyhorn Racer and she wants me to be one just like her. But I don't really like Rhyhorn Racing that much. I'm honestly not sure what I want to do and I'm hoping that my journey will help me figure that out. Seeing Ash just gave me the final push I needed to actually get going."

"Well, you definitely made the right choice. My journey helped me find my dream…and I am sure that, in this land where dreams come true, you will too! And speaking of dreams, you and Ash…" Brock trailed off.

"What about us?" Worry crept back into her tone.

"No promises of course…when it comes to things like this, Ash is as dense as a brick…"

"Yeah, I've kind of gotten that impression," Serena interjected.

"But I'll do my best to help you out."

"Really, you will?" The deep worry and concern in her voice was replaced by an even deeper excitement and joy.

"Yeah, you seem like a nice girl. If Misty were still single it'd be a different story…it's not that I would try to stop you of course, but she and I go way back. If I were to try to help any girl to get Ash it would be her. But she's been with Tracey for a few months and couldn't be happier. As for the others, Iris I've never met and May and Dawn never expressed romantic interest in Ash, at least not that I could see. So yeah, I'll do all that I can."

At this she squealed loudly and threw her arms around him in a hug, exclaiming, "Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!"

The loudness of the sudden noise caught the attention of the other three members of their party. They stopped and turned back. Ash yelled, "Everything alright back there?"

Mortified that Ash had caught her in such a close embrace with someone else, Serena quickly let go of Brock, turned to face Ash, and promptly opened her mouth…but no words came out. Fortunately Brock quickly came to the rescue.

"Nothing's wrong guys, Serena's just really excited that I promised I'd help her out with a special recipe."

"Cool," Ash replied. "Hey, you guys should catch up to the rest of us! Brock and I can share some cool travel stories, like the time we were stranded in a sunken ship or when we got stuck on a cable car or when Team Rocket actually did blast us all into outer space…"

"Sure Ash, sounds great." Turning to Serena he said, "Let's go."

As they ran to catch up, Serena whispered, "Thanks for covering."

"No worries Serena…besides, it's the truth."

"What do you mean? We weren't talking about recipes."

"Sure we were. We were talking about the trickiest recipe of all…Amour."

Smiling at that, the two redoubled their pace and within a few seconds had caught up to the rest of the group. As everyone began to walk side by side, Ash then launched into the tale of his, Brock, and Misty's ill-fated voyage aboard a ship named for the mother of the Virgin.

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><p><strong>I wasn't trying to take any digs against other ships in this chapter. Personally I enjoy other ships, especially Advancedshipping and Pearlshipping. But given what we see in canon, there's no clear-cut indication that Dawn or May havehad any romantic interest in Ash for Brock to pick up on, though I admit the case is stronger for May having romantic feelings for Ash than Dawn. On the other hand, it is quite clearly hinted that Misty had feelings for Ash during their travels together, and there are a few subtle indications that those feelings were returned. All this is the source for Brock's perspective.**

**Personally I think that if Misty were still holding a torch for Ash, Brock wouldn't be willing to help out another girl get him, especially a girl he just met. Putting her with Tracey was the simplest and best way to handle this.**

**Of all the things I expected to hear, all the surprise about Brock's lack of flirting with Nurse Joy wasn't anywhere on my radar. Hopefully the explanation here is not too disappointing. I really love the comic relief Brock provided in the anime but I also think he needs to leave it behind before anyone will take him seriously as a doctor, a matchmaker, or a potential boyfriend. Brock will have a very brief moment in the sun before this is all over, but I'll just say this isn't the story of Brock finding love.**


	4. The Fruit of Her Hands

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Brock would actually come back, at least to visit. Flashbacks and Side Story episodes not dubbed into English just aren't enough._

_"Give her of the fruit of her hands, __and let her works praise her in the gates." _- Proverbs 31:31

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><p>After stopping for a brief lunch of sandwiches, the group resumed its trek towards Reflection Cave. They passed by a few trainers coming down the road in the opposite direction, but none of them were in the mood to chat long, let alone give Ash the battle he had been itching for all day. Before long afternoon faded into evening and the group, having found a good spot to spend the night, decided to stop and make camp.<p>

After the tents were pitched, the table set, and firewood gathered, Brock and Serena moved to begin preparing dinner. Ash, having been denied any real opportunity to train with his Pokémon all day, challenged Clemont to a battle. Not wanting to risk a stray attack ruining dinner, the two trainers agreed to take their match elsewhere. Bonnie had initially been hesitant to join them, wanting to stay and watch Brock and Serena cook, attracted more to the novelty of Brock then any real desire to help with dinner. Brock had cleverly deflected this however by calling out Chansey and asking Bonnie to take it and "make sure the boys didn't get into too much trouble." Smiling at this "big responsibility," Bonnie had gladly skipped off to follow Ash and her brother, Chansey in tow.

After witnessing the exchange between Brock and Bonnie, Serena had expected her temporary traveling companion to immediately renew their discussion of her feelings for Ash. To her surprise, Brock had instead launched into a lesson on how to cook his "world famous" stew. Beginning with the ingredient preparation, he was meticulous in his delivery, explaining each step in detail. All her questions he answered with a patience and wisdom that Serena figured must have come from some combination of being a former Gym Leader, an aspiring Pokémon Doctor, and the eldest of ten children. This last fact had flabbergasted her when she'd first heard; as an only child herself, she had always struggled to imagine what having just one sibling would like; nine was beyond comprehension!

As he talked and demonstrated various techniques, she couldn't help but smile to herself; he reminded her of Ash in some ways. Like Ash, he was generally a pretty easy-going guy. But both of them had a serious side as well. For Ash this side emerged when he was training or battling; for Brock, it came out while cooking. When engaged in these activities, both of them displayed a mixture of intensity and passion that she hadn't seen too often. In fact, the only example that came to mind was her mother racing Rhyhorn. Shoving thoughts of Rhyhorn racing from her mind, she focused her attention back on Brock.

The stew was now simmering and, apart from some stirring, wouldn't be needing any additional attention until it was ready to serve. After having indicated as much to Serena, he then turned to the topic that Serena had been expecting to discuss from the beginning.

"So Serena, there are a few approaches you can take regarding Ash."

Though she'd been expecting this to come up, Serena was a bit thrown at how suddenly he'd transitioned from instructions on stirring to this. After glancing around and assuring herself that Ash and the others were still nowhere near by, she responded. "Okay…so what are they?"

"Well, the most obvious is the direct approach…simply telling him how you feel. But I assume you've already thought of that."

"Yeah. You see Brock, I really like Ash, but it's more than that…he's been a great friend and mentor. I've really enjoyed my journey and I've learned so much. I'm afraid if I were to tell him now, I'd ruin everything. Plus I am also kind of a traditionalist when it comes to these kinds of things. He should be the one approach me…not the other way around."

"Well I don't think your first reason is valid," Brock said, shaking his head, "Ash is a great guy. Yeah, it might be awkward for a while and sure things would be different, but Ash would never abandon a friend. So, you don't have to worry there. Your second reason I can respect. In Kanto that type of attitude is falling out of fashion, but it's still relatively common. But if your plan is for Ash to make the first move, you'll be waiting a long time."

"I know…so what should I do? I really don't want to ask him out but…" she trailed off. Speaking these thoughts aloud caused an emotional dam to burst within her. All the sadness and resignation that had been building up gradually since she'd started her journey with Ash suddenly hit her hard, leaving her teetering on the brink of tears.

"Simple. I tell Ash how you feel."

"What?!" Serena exclaimed, her expression and tone conveying both shock and concern. Especially given the point that she had just made, this was the last thing she had expected him to say and, if possible, made her even more upset.

"Relax," Brock cautioned, putting up his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not talking about some 'she told me to tell you' thing. I'll simply tell him what I've noticed…that, based on how you act towards him, it seems pretty clear that you have a crush on him. Then, I'll see how he responds."

"Wait, so you want to tell him _but_ you have no idea how he'll react? What makes you think that's a good idea?" The shock was gone from her voice, but the fear lingered.

"It's like I said, Ash is pretty dense when it comes to romance. This cuts both ways. It's helped keep him completely single. But this also means he's not likely to be conscious of any romantic feelings for you, if he even has them. Girls is one topic Ash and I never really have had a serious conversation about. That's partially my fault because I didn't exactly set the best example in that department. So, to be honest, I have no idea how he'll react if I bring it up." At this Brock paused, letting his words sink in. "So, what do you think?"

At this Serena paused and considered, a series of thoughts flashing across her mind. When she was on her way to meet Ash at his first Gym battle in Santalune City, she had played out a number of scenarios in her mind. Even at that point she had realized that the most romantic of fantasies, where he bravely and confidently swept her off her feet, were just that: fantasies. But of all the scenarios that she had considered, one that had never crossed her mind was the one that actually played out. Ash not remembering her had been disappointing to say the least. That would have shattered the heart of some girls; others would have shrugged it off and moved on to the next boy. She had briefly considered the latter course; what she felt for Ash at that point was just a childhood crush after all, albeit one rekindled by his heroic (if reckless) actions in saving Garchomp.

But her feelings for Ash had quickly become anything but a silly little crush. Getting to know Ash and seeing him in action had changed things. His courage, his determination, and his selfless care for both people and Pokémon were simply amazing. The whole experience had led to two revelations. First, she had discovered that love is more than a deep emotional feeling for someone…it is also a desire to inspire the other person and to be inspired by them, to uplift and be uplifted, to challenge the other to be better and to become better yourself. Second she realized that, somehow, without quite realizing exactly when, she'd fallen in love with Ash Ketchum. Realizing the true extent of her feelings had been equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

Once she had realized that she was in love, she had been faced with the decision of what to do about it. In the end, she'd decided that the way to his heart was getting him to notice her incrementally, through a slow but deliberate process of winning him over. But lately she'd been growing increasingly frustrated. She hadn't been expecting a declaration of love overnight, but she'd expected some progress by now, some sign, however faint, that he might consider her as something more than just a friend. What Brock was suggesting certainly would count as progress…but was it the right thing to do?

"I don't know," she sighed after a long pause, fiddling with a lock of her hair. "It kinds of sounds like I am getting you to ask him out for me…and even if it isn't, I'm not sure your idea would work."

Brock shook his head. "I'm not trying to play some childish game. What I want do is share with him with what I've seen and get him to do something about it. I'll encourage him either to let you down gently or make a move. Either way, he's the one taking the initiative. As for success..." At this he paused and let out a breath, looking for the exact right words. "I'm certain that I'll be able to convince him to act…but I can't promise it'll turn out the way you want."

"I know that," she sighed, looking down. After a few seconds she turned her head back up and looked him straight in the eye. "Okay…do it. But as far as Ash is concerned, it's just your best guess…we haven't talked about it at all."

"Naturally," he said, giving the stew another stir. Ladling some and holding the spoon to his face, he gave it a whiff and then took a sip. "Tastes ready. Give it a try."

Serena took the spoon from Brock and repeated his actions, smelling first and then giving it a small taste. Her face lit up. "Wow, Ash was right, you are a great cook. This is delicious! I had no idea it was possible make such good food out camping. Clemont does well enough, but this is on a whole different level."

"Well Serena, this is as much your stew as it is mine. Another try or two and you'll be able to do it all on your own. Baking may not be cooking, but it's given you a lot of the skills you need. And Ash loves good food…on that basis alone you have reason to be optimistic."

She chuckled at Brock's quip. "Yeah, you're right about that for sure!" She handed him back the spoon. "Let me go get the others and let them know that dinner is ready." At Brock's nod, Serena turned and hurried off in the direction that their three companions had gone.

When she returned a few minutes later Brock had already ladled out a first serving for everyone. He'd also laid out the Pokémon food as well. Pikachu, Chansey, Dedenne, and Chespin all moved in the direction of their food while their human companions took seats at the table.

"Wow Brock, that smell does bring back the memories," Ash exclaimed as he sat down, rubbing his hands together in excitement.

"Thanks Ash. Ever since I started my studies I haven't had many opportunities to cook, so I'm happy when I actually do get the chance. But I can't take all the credit…this is as much Serena's effort as it is mine."

Serena blushed lightly at this. "So Ash, how do you like it?"

"Well, let's see." Ash took his spoon, filled it with stew, and put it to his lips. After a moment his face lit up. "Wow, it's even better than I remembered. Thanks you two!"

"Ash was not exaggerating when he said you were a good cook," declared Clemont, excitement clear in his voice. "This is as good as anything you can find in Lumiose City. And it's certainly better than my cooking." At this everyone laughed.

"Yeah," echoed Bonnie merrily, "this is really, really great! If you can teach Serena to cook like this we'll all be soooo happy!"

"Don't worry Bonnie," smiled Brock, "based on how things went today, she'll be cooking like a pro before long. She's definitely a quick study."

"Yeah," Ash said between bites, "she sure is! I mean, she's just started her journey and already she's learned a lot!"

"I agree," supplied Clemont, who, unlike Ash, actually stopped chewing before he spoke. "You have come a long way as a trainer."

"Aw, thanks guys." She smiled broadly, though Brock couldn't help but notice that her gaze lingered on Ash far longer than on Clemont. "But I know I'm just getting started; I still only have one Pokémon after all. There's so much more to see and learn." At this she stood up and turned from her friends and gazed off into the evening sky. She then bowed her head, closing her eyes and holding her hand over her heart. "I'm really glad to have such great friends on this journey with me."

Opening her eyes and whirling around to face everyone, she smiled. "Well, I better get started eating or there won't be any left _Ash_." At this everyone laughed, Ash most of all. Sitting back down, Serena began to eat her food as the conversation drifted among a number of different topics, from a recap of Ash and Clemont's battle to a discussion of Pokémon native to the Kalos region to their plans for the rest of the week. This last topic had produced some debate, but in the end they agreed on a tentative plan for the next few days.

Reflection Cave was only a day's walk from Cyllage City. However, because of their late start and leisurely pace, they were only about halfway there. No one regretted taking it easy, especially since Brock had been exhausted from traveling the day before. But it meant they still had quite a distance to go. By rising early tomorrow, they would be able to arrive at Reflection Cave by noon and have an entire half day to explore before nightfall. After that they would camp outside the cave and leave the morning after. By making good time the day after tomorrow they would be able to arrive back at Cyllage City's Pokémon Center by nightfall.

This plan would leave the group three full days in Cyllage City, with everyone departing the morning of the fourth day, Brock to Lumiose City and his rotation, the rest of the gang to Shalour City and Ash's next Gym battle. While this plan had some drawbacks (no one wanted to get up early tomorrow or rush back the day after) what they would do once they had returned to Cyllage City was still up in the air, everyone had agreed it was for the best.

Having reached a consensus, the group moved to clear away dinner and begin getting ready for bed. All the Pokémon except Pikachu and Dedenne were returned to their Pokeballs. Brock retired to his own tent first, jet lag still weighing on him. The rest of the gang lingered outside; compared with last night, it was still a bit early. As the embers of the fire flickered and died, the conversation lulled into an easy silence. Eventually the two pairs drifted back to their tents, Bonnie and Serena first, Clemont and Ash a few minutes later. As the last tufts of smoke from the now dead campfire wafted into the starry Kalosian sky, the travelers settled into a deep and restful slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>My interpretation of Serena's character here (i.e. her "traditionalism") is, in my opinion, defensible based on what we've seen so far. However, given Ash's density, if (and in my view it is still a big if) they are going to get together in canon I think the most likely outcome is her saying something, though a scenario like mine (i.e. outside intervention) is certainly possible.<strong>

**As for who is the best cook, my take is more my loyalty to Brock than anything. However, given Clemont's lack of expertise in a "cooking-adjacent" area (breeding for Brock, being a connoisseur / café "owner" for Cilan) I have a hard time thinking his cooking would be as good as either of theirs, much less better. Honestly, to me it makes no logical sense why he should be the designated cook. It's no slight against Clemont, personally I think he's an interesting character, albeit one that the anime needs to develop a bit more.  
><strong>

**Finally, even considering the side-trip they take with Korrina, the distance/time to get to Reflecting Cave is probably a bit further in canon. I made it what works for this story.**

**I really enjoyed the Mirrorworld episode; it even seemed to hint that MirrorSerena somehow likes MirrorAsh and assumes Serena likes Ash. But it won't be featuring in this story as this story was basically completely written before that episode aired. It might be interesting to do a sequel one-shot but no promises at this point.  
><strong>


	5. Welcolming the Stranger

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Team Rocket would be more competent and mature like they were in Unova or they wouldn't be around at all. _

**Since both chapters are relatively brief, I figured I would upload two today. Enjoy!  
><strong>

_"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me."_- Matthew 25:35

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><p>Careful not to wake Clemont or Pikachu, Ash unzipped the tent and stepped out into the crisp dawn air. Closing the tent flap behind him and turning, he wasn't surprised to see Brock up and already getting breakfast ready. What he was surprised to see was that Serena awake as well, already dressed in her signature red skirt, black top, and pink hat. Both of them were huddled over the camp fire. Serena was laughing lightly and something Brock had just said, head back and one hand resting on his forearm. Ash stopped in his tracks, stomach lurching. <em>"Must be hungrier than usual," <em>he thought to himself. Aloud he said, "Morning guys. You're both up early."

The two friends turned to look at Ash. Serena quickly dropped her hand from Brock's arm. "Morning to you too! We just started getting breakfast ready, so it might be a little while. Brock was just telling me about the time a Whiscash swallowed your badge case. Did you really jump in after it and almost drown?"

"Well, it's not like Brock hasn't had moments he would rather forget," Ash shot back, somewhat defensively. A soon as he said this her realized that he was actually irritated at Brock, which was weird. Shrugging it off as a symptom of the early hour, he walked over the two and adopted a more playful tone. "Well Serena, there's something I swore to Brock I would never bring up again…but uh, you never made any promises." He beckoned her closer.

Intrigued, Serena closed the distance between herself and Ash. Ash then leaned over and whispered something in her ear. His closeness and the fact he was clad in only his night clothes set her heart racing. Chuckling, Ash leaned back, stretched out his arms, then began walking out of the clearing to change, grabbing his backpack as he went. As he was getting out of earshot, Ash heard Serena ask, "So Brock, can you tell me about your time on the Orange Islands. I heard Professor Ivy…"

Brock recoiled visibly at this. "Don't mention that name," he exclaimed. Composing himself somewhat, he then yelled, "ASH!" Ash smirked and kept walking, whistling as he went, distantly hearing Serena admonish Brock to keep his voice down so as not to wake the others.

Before long Clemont, Bonnie, and the two Electric Pokémon were up, breakfast was done, and the group was back on the road again. The conversation was again dominated by reminiscing about journeys gone by. The three Kalos natives were amazed at what they were hearing. Although some of the stories seemed not too dissimilar from their own adventures, meeting world famous trainers like Cynthia and Lance, tangles with Teams Magma, Aqua, and Galactic, and encounters with Legendary Pokémon all seemed to defy belief. They had of course known Ash had been on his journey for a while. But from the way it sounded Ash and Brock had experienced more in that time than most people did in a lifetime.

At one point Serena couldn't take it anymore. "Ash, why didn't you tell us about any of this stuff? I mean, we knew that you'd down well in other Pokémon Leagues, even placed Top 4 in Sinnoh…but you saved the world for God's sake. You'd think you would have mentioned that."

Ash chuckled nervously. "It wasn't like that…I mean, it was, but I had a lot of help. Plus, you may have noticed but I'm not so good with telling stories." It was true that Brock had dominated most of the conversation, with Ash throwing in observations and comments at various points. "Besides, most of the fun in telling these stories is remembering it together with the ones you were with."

"I guess…" Serena sighed, trailing off. "And here I was thinking you jumping off Prism Tower was an isolated incident."

"You did what!" This time it was Brock's turn to be surprised.

"Yeah, Ash dove off to save Pikachu and was rescued by a flying Mega Blaziken," Clemont supplied. "A Garchomp went on a rampage and Ash here was the one that stopped it. I'm surprised something like that wasn't on the news in Kanto. It was all over the TV here."

Brock shook his head. "I don't get to watch TV much so for all I know it may have been. Ash, you didn't mention this when we talked about your time in Kalos."

"Well it's like you said Brock, I suck at telling stories; plus, I didn't want to get you worried. As for the news, I'm guessing it didn't get much attention in Kanto," Ash said. "If it had, mom would have seen it and she would have been on the next plane to Kalos."

"You bet she would have Ash, and I would have been with her," Brock echoed, clearly upset. "I know you were trying to help Pikachu but what were you thinking? Did you even consider how you dying would affect everyone that cares about you, especially your poor mother. None of us would want you to do something so reckless…Pikachu included."

"Well it worked out didn't it?" Ash shrugged.

"It 'worked out' because you got lucky Ash. You didn't save Pikachu…Mega Blaziken saved the both of you." Pausing and running has hand through his hair, he continued. "I'm not trying to get in a fight with you Ash. You know I've always admired your dedication to people and Pokémon…just be more careful. Think first sometimes buddy, it will save you and everyone else a lot of headache and heartache."

Ash sighed. "I hear ya Brock. And you're right, I wasn't really thinking about mom or any of my other friends or partners. I'll try to do better in the future," he said, bowing in contrition as he did so.

As Ash straightened from his bow, Brock put a hand on his shoulder. "That's all I ask man. That and call or write more often!"

Laughing at this, Ash nodded.

Brock turned to the others. "And I expect you guys to try to keep him from getting into too much trouble. Now let's get going."

The group resumed their walk, having briefly paused when Ash and Brock's exchange had grown serious. They had covered about half the remaining distance to Reflection Cave when they encountered their first traveler of the day. He was an older man, clad in hiking gear and sporting an overgrown beard, a rarity in fashion-conscious Kalos. When he saw group of kids walking toward him, he slowed his pace and waved in greeting.

"Hail friends and well-met. Where are you headed this fine summer's day?"

The group returned this greeting individually, but it was Brock that answered the stranger's question. "We're actually on our way to Reflection Cave."

"Ah, I just came from there. I spent all night in the cave looking to catch some Rock Pokémon. It was a long night but I got a few, so it was quite worth it."

"Really," replied Brock, "that's why we're going…or at least, why I'm going. See I'm visiting from Kanto for a few months and I'd love to catch a Rock type native to Kalos while I'm here. I used to be a Gym Leader and Rock types were my specialty."

"Ho-ho, a visitor to Kalos and a former Gym Leader to boot," the man boomed. "Well, I welcome you to our fair land! Have you been here long? And what about the rest of you? Visitors as well? Oh, and where are my manners? I am Dunstan."

After the group had made introductions and explained the circumstances that had led them to travel to Reflection Cave, Dunstan shared a bit about himself. Long ago he had been an office worker in Lumiose City but, having tired of the fast-paced, high stress life of the big city, quit his job and retired to the countryside. Now he made a modest living off growing fruits and keeping Combee. He also traveled when he could to catch new Pokémon.

"You see," he explained, "I never had the chance to go on a journey of my own when I was young. My family was too poor to afford it."

At this four of the five friends looked down somewhat guiltily. As the child of a world famous Rhyhorn racer, Serena had never needed to worry about money. Between their dad's shop and the Gym, Clemont and Bonnie, while nowhere near as well off as Serena, had no problem funding their journey. Even though the restaurant only made the Ketchums a modest living, there had never been any talk of Ash not going on a journey, and prize money had helped make things much easier. Only Brock, who at one time had to financially support nine brothers and sisters on his own, nodded understandingly.

If the hiker noticed their expressions, he paid them no mind. "So I stayed in school, went to college, and found the best-paying job I could. But now," he said smiling, "I have the time and the money to be a trainer."

Ash was quick to recover his composure. "So are you planning on challenging any Gyms?"

"Haha," he laughed, "that's a young man's game. Or young lady's," he said, nodding at Serena. "My humble desire to catch interesting Pokémon and test their skill in battle."

"All right!" Ash responded, striking a battling pose. "Then how about a battle with me?"

This time it was the hiker's turn to look guilty. "I would love to son, but my Pokémon and I are completely exhausted from a whole night spent in the cave. But I must confess that your spirit for battle is to be commended and I feel quite sad to have to refuse your challenge. To make up for my slight against you, please take this Dusk Ball." At this the hiker removed a small Pokeball from his pocket with a distinct dark green pattern. "Consider it an apology for being unable to battle and a token of admiration from one trainer to another."

Ash took the Dusk Ball from the hiker. "Thanks! But what exactly is a Dusk Ball?"

At this Brock responded. "A Dusk Ball is a Pokeball that is super effective at catching Pokémon in caves or at night. Because they're even better than Ultra Balls when used this way they're quite sought after. They're also hard to make, so they're a bit expensive too."

"Sounds cool," Ash responded. He then turned backed to Dunstan. "But it was Brock that really wanted to catch a Pokémon in Reflection Cave. I hope you don't mind if I give it to him instead." Ash looked at the hiker expectedly.

"Ho-ho, of course I don't mind! I'm happy to be of help to a group of young trainers." Turning to Brock, he said. "Godspeed young man, as I'm sure you know, Rock types can be quite strong and have a constitution to match. You'll need every bit of determination you've got, and that ball to boot!"

Giving a shallow bow, Brock responded, "Thank you sir. And best wishes!"

Waving goodbye to the group, the hiker continued on his way home while Ash and his friends resumed their walk towards Reflection Cave. As Clemont, Ash, and Bonnie began a conversation on raising Electric Pokémon, Brock and Serena each shuffled along, lost in their own thoughts. Brock, fingering the Dusk Ball absently, was carefully considering the coming afternoon's adventure and how to best use it to accomplish two goals: catch a new Pokémon and confront Ash about Serena's feelings. Neither would be easy. As for Serena, she was caught up in thinking about her relationship with Ash, both worried and hopeful for what the next few days would bring.

* * *

><p><strong>Ash jumping off Prism Tower was definitely in-character, if monumentally stupid. In canon they just totally gloss it over…but even in a world where 10 year olds are allowed to go traveling in the wilderness alone, I think Brock's reaction is right on the money. On the flip side, Brock may have grown up some, but that doesn't mean he's ready to talk about whatever it was that happened with Professor Ivy.<strong>

**As for my reference to the economics of the Pokémon world, it's money another attempt to add a dose of realism, not my attempt at any sort of political statement. Even with camping out most of the time, journeying can't exactly be cheap, especially when you factor in the cost of feeding Pokémon. The only two explanations are a massive government subsidies or self-funding. Given what we see in the anime (e.g. in a society where Pokémon are clearly so important culturally and economically, there are few traveling trainers relative to apparent population level) I judge the second more likely, though the presence of so many Pokémon Centers may indicate it's a mixture of both.**

**I used the example of Ash and Brock to point out that, while hard, under these circumstances it's not impossible for someone in the middle/lower middle class to fund a journey, particularly if they win a lot and garner some sort of prize money / sponsorships. Is it a perfect explanation? Hardly, but it fits the facts. It can even be said to enrich (pardon the pun) the characters. For example, it gives the sacrifice Delia makes in letting her son follow his dreams an even greater dimension and provides Ash with another selfless motive for becoming a Pokémon Master: improving his family's economic lot. It also is a good reminder to us all that there are many with far less than we.**


	6. The Strife of Tongues

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash wouldn't make promises we know he'll never fulfill…or the writers would at least make him own up to the important ones. But I guess the odds (for example) of Max becoming a trainer and actually battling Ash are about as likely as Pikachu's Pokeball ever getting screen time. _

_"In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the __strife__ of tongues."_ - Psalm 31:20

* * *

><p>It was, as predicted, about noon when they finally arrived at Reflection Cave. Wanting to maximize time spent exploring the cave before nightfall, the group ate quickly. As they finished cleaning up lunch and were getting ready to head inside, Brock made a proposal to the group.<p>

"So guys, I may never have been to this cave, but as a former Rock type Gym leader and Pokémon Breeder, I can tell you that cave-dwelling Pokémon can be easily frightened by large groups. In some situations this helps flush Pokémon into the open, but in most cases it just makes catching them harder. So, I think we should split up."

"You mean go by ourselves," Serena asked, fear creeping into her voice. "I'm not sure I want to go into a dark cave alone."

"Nope," Brock responded, shaking his head, "that's not what I meant. It's generally not a good idea to go into a cave by yourself, even if it is as well-traveled as this one. Too many things can go wrong. No, I was thinking we split into two groups. Ash and I go one way, you guys go the other. We meet back here at 5:00. How does that sound?"

Serena sighed in relief. "Okay, that sounds good to me. Clemont, Bonnie, mind if we take it easy and don't go in too deep?"

"Sounds fine to me Serena," Clemont replied.

Bonnie however huffed in annoyance. "Come on big brother, I want to go and see all the cool Pokémon too!"

"Now now Bonnie, let's keep Serena company. Besides, we'll have to come back through here anyways. It's on the way to Shalour City and Ash's next Gym Battle. We can do some more exploring at that point, okay?"

"Alright…" Bonnie trailed off. "Come on Serena, let's go. And you better keep up Clemont 'cos I'm not waiting for you!" With that, Bonnie took off into the cave, Serena following close behind. Sighing in exasperation, Clemont huffed after them, already panting from the effort.

"So Ash," Brock said, turning to his longtime friend, "guess it's just me, you, and Pikachu."

"Sounds cool!" Ash pumped his fist in the air. "Come on Pikachu, let's go help Brock catch a Pokémon!"

"Pika!" The electric mouse was clearly happy to be on another adventure with their old friend. Smiling, they walked into the cave.

* * *

><p>It had only been 30 minutes and already Serena was tired of this cave. It was wet, it was dark, and all the mirrors were just plain creepy. But what she couldn't stand most of all was Clemont and Bonnie's bickering. Usually the two siblings got along well…or as well as could be expected of any brother and sister that age. But, apart from a few Woobat, they hadn't run across any Pokémon yet and Bonnie was getting irritable. Clemont, who usually had a level head and kept calm, was instead replying to Bonnie tit for tat. What's more, he had just asked them to stop for another rest break, prompting Bonnie to start ranting that a weakling like him would never find a wife.<p>

"Well I never asked your opinion!" Irritation flooded Clemont's features. "In fact, I never asked you about marriage at all. You're the one that keeps embarrassing me by bringing it up!" He was not even bothering to hide the anger in his voice anymore.

"Well clearly you need someone to take care of you. I mean look at you…can't even go five minutes without asking to stop! It's a good thing that you aren't the one Serena's interested in taking care of because otherwise…" at this she put her hand over her mouth, shocked at what, in her anger, she had carelessly let slip. She lowered her hand from her mouth and slowly turned from Clemont to Serena, gazing at her hesitantly.

Serena had been about to intervene to try to defuse the situation, but at Bonnie's sudden pronouncement all thoughts of irritation at their conflict fled from her mind. She glanced from Bonnie to Clemont and back again, noting the looks of embarrassment and guilt on both of your faces.

With a forced calmness that was painfully evident, Serena asked, "What do you mean by that Bonnie?"

"She didn't mean anything," Clemont hurriedly interjected.

"That's right," chimed Bonnie quickly, "I didn't mean anything. I was just angry at Clemont but now things are fine, aren't they big brother?"

"Couldn't be better," Clemont agreed rapidly. "Now let's go!" Turning rapidly, both siblings began to march forward.

Serena's voice quickly put an end to the siblings' forward progress. "Not so fast you two. Who exactly am I interested in 'taking care of,' hmm?" She paused, hands on hips, a determined look on her face. The two turned around slowly and faced Serena. If possible, their expressions looked even more pained with guilt and embarrassment than before.

Suddenly Bonnie turned to Clemont, hitting him on the arm gently. "I told you we should have brought it up before, but no, you wouldn't listen to me! You're always so worried about these things Clemont and now you've gone and made things even worse!"

Clemont's temper flared. "Exactly, I told you we shouldn't say anything to avoid precisely this kind of situation. But you had to go do it anyways and now look where we are."

Bonnie's tone raised sharply. "Well if we had discussed it with her like I suggested we wouldn't be in this situation now would we?" The two siblings stared daggers at one another, neither willing to break their glare.

"Excuse me," Serena said irritably, "but you two still haven't answered my question."

"Question? What question was that?" Clemont had many talents, but acting wasn't one of them; his attempt at being obtuse wouldn't have fooled a kindergartner.

"A 'genius inventor'" at this Serena made air quotes, "couldn't possibly have forgotten something that simple already." The exasperation in her voice was impossible to miss.

Clemont sighed and began to respond, but Bonnie beat him to the punch. "You know the answer silly! It's obvious."

Her fears confirmed, panic crept into her voice. "What's obvious?"

"That you want to be Ash's wife of course!" At this Bonnie smiled brightly.

Though they both were well acquainted with Bonnie's proclivity for bluntness, Serena and Clemont were nevertheless still shocked by Bonnie's choice of words. Clemont quickly activated his Aipom arm. The robotic appendage snaked its way through the air and grabbed Bonnie from behind, lifting her up off the ground.

"Bonnie it's embarrassing enough when you do this to me!" Red tinged his cheeks. "But you can't treat our friends like this. Now I insist you apologize immediately!"

"No way big brother," she responded, struggling against her confinement. "I have nothing to apologize for. You know I'm right!"

"Bonnie…" Clemont's anger was rising again.

"Clemont stop…" Serena raised her hand. "She's right…I mean, I'm nowhere near ready for marriage of course, but I do love Ash." As she paused to collect her thoughts, Clemont lowered Bonnie back to the ground. "But is it really that obvious?"

"Of course!"

Bonnie's shout of affirmation earned her another intense look from Clemont. Adjusting his glasses, Clemont turned to Serena. "What Bonnie means is that, when considering all the evidence, it became increasingly clear to the two of us that you have strong feelings for Ash."

"What evidence?" Serena was genuinely curious just what they'd picked up on.

"Well, the biggest piece was you remembering Ash after all these years and tracking him down as soon as you realized he was in Kalos. But there are other little things as well…comments you direct specifically at him, the way you reacted when that kindergarten teacher asked him to come with her, and the way your face turns pink whenever he compliments you. Quite elementary really."

"I was hoping Brock was wrong about it being so obvious…" Serena sighed, tilting her head down, "or at least that you guys wouldn't have figured out my secret."

"Why didn't you want us to know? I thought we were friends!" Bonnie was genuinely upset by this.

"We are Bonnie! That's exactly why I didn't want you to know. I don't know, I just was worried things would be awkward for our group if you guys knew. I really like traveling with all of you and didn't want anything to mess it up. And I was also worried I'd feel more nervous around Ash if you guys knew. But now I guess you've known all along."

"Don't worry Serena," Bonnie said, "this just means now we can actually help you convince Ash to let you take care of him! Isn't that right big brother?"

Clemont shuffled his feet uncomfortably. On one hand he definitely wanted to assist Serena. She was his friend and friends helped each other out. But he was also regularly embarrassed by the well-meaning efforts of his sister to help him find a wife. He didn't want to be party to putting Ash in the same position. True, the situations weren't exactly identical; Bonnie tried to set him up with strangers, Ash and Serena were close friends. But that could heighten the embarrassment. This tension, combined with the fact that he honestly had no idea how to be a matchmaker, had driven his effort to persuade Bonnie to keep quiet. But not that it was out in the open, he didn't quite know how to respond.

Fortunately Serena intervened, "That's sweet Bonnie, and maybe I will ask for help someday. But for now, Brock has volunteered to assist me."

"That's right," said Clemont, recognition dawning, "you mentioned something about your feelings being obvious to him."

"Yeah. I was trying to be careful and find out from him if Ash has a girlfriend or a crush on someone without directly asking. But he confronted me right away, saying he already knew what I was trying to do and why. When I admitted he was right, he said he would help me."

"How's he gonna do that?" Bonnie was quite curious. She'd seen love stories play out on TV and in the movies. The heroines were always so pretty, the heroes so dashing. It's because Clemont didn't display the brash confidence of these heroes that she had long ago decided to take matters into her own hands, though as of yet she'd been unsuccessful. But now she might have the chance to see a real love story unfold before her eyes; the prospect made her giddy with excitement. _"It might even help me with some ideas I can use to help Clemont," _she thought.

"Well, Brock is going to tell Ash that he thinks I like him and see how Ash responds."

"But he knows you like Ash! Why not just tell him that? In fact, why not just tell him yourself?" All this dancing around seemed like a waste of time to Bonnie. If you liked someone you should just tell them; how grown-ups could make something so simple so complicated was something she would never understand.

"Because Bonnie, it's Ash that should tell me how he feels, not the other way around."

"Ah," said Clemont, realization dawning, "so you're one of those 'old-fashioned' types." At Serena's pained look, he quickly continued. "No, you misunderstand. It's true that that type of attitude is something you see much more in provincial areas like Vaniville Town than cities like Lumiose, but personally I feel the same way. That's part of the reason why," at this he turned to look at Bonnie, "I get so frustrated and embarrassed at Bonnie sometimes."

"Wow Clemont," Serena said, her expression softening, "I had no idea you felt that way."

"Pft," Bonnie pursed her lips, "sure it sounds sweet, but I know my brother. If I leave it up to him I'll be taking care of my own grandkids before he finds a wife."

"I'm not looking for a wife Bonnie!" Clemont's exasperation was clear. "Not now at least. I want to focus on my journey, on learning and growing as a trainer and an inventor. If I meet a girl that I like while we're traveling that'd be great. But it's not what's most important right now."

Before Bonnie could respond, Serena interjected. "I think you two will have to agree to disagree, or at least you aren't going to resolve this argument standing here in the middle of a cave. We're all on this journey to learn and grow together, so let's get going and meet some new Pokémon!"

At this Bonnie brightened considerably. "Yeah, let's go! And you better keep up Clemont!"

"Just remember, not one word to Ash!" Serena wanted to get this point in before they got underway.

"Of course not," said Clemont.

Serena then turned to look at Bonnie. "Bonnie?"

"I still don't get what the big deal is…" she said, trailing off. As Serena continued to stare at her, she continued, "but whatever you want Serena, I'll keep it a secret."

The group then began to walk deeper into the cave. Although the siblings did continue to bicker occasionally, the attitude of the group shifted significantly following this discussion. A calmer and more relaxed mood settled over them and stayed with them for the rest of their time together in Reflection Cave.

* * *

><p><strong>Considering Bonnie's search for a wife for Clemont and that neither of the siblings seem to approach Ash-level density when it comes to romance, Serena's interest in Ash is obvious enough that in a realistic world they clearly would have picked up on Serena's feelings. However with anime you never know. For the purposes of this story I assumed that they have noticed and put forth a reasonable interpretation of why they haven't said or done anything wrapped within (what I hope is) a comedic and in-character exchange.<strong>


	7. A Better Kind of Meeting

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Pokémon would act more wild and less fluffy and kind more often. They're wild for a reason…and it's not because they all love to eat fruit and play well with others. After all, the Pokedex does mention Pokémon catching prey often enough._

_"Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs __rather than a fool in his folly."_ - Proverbs 17:12

* * *

><p>In another part of Reflection Cave Ash and Brock were also not having much success in their search for Pokémon. Though they'd had to fight their way through a small colony of Woobat that didn't want to let them pass, so far they hadn't come across any Rock Pokémon. While their spirits were still bright and optimistic, physically they were starting to feel fatigued, especially the jet-lagged Brock. Even the usually chipper Pikachu looked ready for a rest.<p>

"Ash, we should take a brief break. I think we could all use one."

Ash had been, as usual, intent on moving forward to the exclusion of everything else. But, as he shifted focus from the search for Pokémon to the physical condition of himself and his two companions, he realized that Brock was absolutely right. Taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair, he responded, "Yeah, I guess so." Replacing the ball cap, he continued, "But not too long. We've got to catch you a Kalos Pokémon!" At this the two Pokémon trainers took a seat, leaning against one of the many mirrors that gave this cave its name. For a few moments the two just sat and relaxed, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere.

After a bit, Brock turned to his companion and smiled. "Ash, I can't tell you how glad I am to see that your passion for Pokémon hasn't changed."

Ash laughed at this. "'Course not Brock. I'm still planning on being the world's greatest Pokémon Master one day!"

Pikachu heartily affirmed this with an exclamation of his own. Brock turned and looked over at the Mouse Pokémon. "Glad to see you haven't changed either buddy. But you need to do a bit better at keeping an eye on Ash. Clemont has to focus on Bonnie most of the time and Serena's still new to being on a journey. I'm counting on you."

"Pika!," the yellow Pokémon shouted, clenching it's right paw into a small fist.

"Not you too buddy!" Ash said sheepishly.

"Speaking of your new friends, tell me about them. I mean, obviously I've gotten to know them a bit over the past few days, but I want to hear your perspective."

At this Ash launched into a excited description of the eldest of his companions. "Well, Clemont's really really smart. I mean, every time he brings out a new invention I'm reminded of how amazing science really is. And he's a great older brother to Bonnie, I can tell he really cares about her and his Pokémon. He needs to work on his bravery, but he'll get there no doubt!

"What about Bonnie," Brock asked.

"Well, she's a very sweet little girl. Definitely adores her brother and loves Pokémon. She's pretty confident and really stubborn…reminds me of Dawn or Misty. But, like when we were traveling with Max, there are moments when it's pretty clear why making kids wait until they're ten to have their own Pokémon is a good idea." Ash chuckled. "It's funny, before I turned ten I thought that was such a stupid rule. But now, I kinda think it's a good idea."

"Wow Ash, you're really growing up." Brock was seriously impressed.

"Happens to all of us," Ash laughed lightly, "even you."

Brock chuckled at that as well. "So, what about Serena? What's she like?"

At this Ash paused, considering for a moment. Finally, he answered. "Well, she always has a kind word for everyone. She does a great job encouraging all of us. I can tell she really cares about others a real lot and shows it all the time. She's a lot of fun, which is cool." He paused for a second. "She's also very girly." At this Brock rolled his eyes, not that Ash noticed. Ash continued. "But she's not that confident. She reminds me a bit of May when she first started out, ya know? She's not afraid of Pokémon like May was, but she's not very sure of herself or her Pokémon. Don't get me wrong, she's gotten a lot better already, but she's still just getting started and it really shows sometimes."

"Sounds like you all have a lot to learn from one another," Brock observed.

"You're right, which is why I love traveling with people," Ash responded. "We may not always know where we're going," at this they both smiled, "but the important thing is we're going there together."

"Speaking of together," Brock said, "have you noticed anything, I don't know, different about how Serena treats you versus how she treats Clemont or Bonnie?"

"Of course," Ash responded, his tone indicating that he considered it all quite obvious.

"Really?" At this Brock was really surprised. Maybe Ash _was_ growing up.

"Sure Brock. I mean, I may not have remembered it at first, but Serena and I are really old friends. So of course she treats me differently. Plus, no one treats everyone exactly the same, right?"

Brock mentally facepalmed at this, but outwardly kept a neutral expression. "Sure Ash, but that's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" Ash was genuinely curious as to what his friend would say. He knew he wasn't always the best when it came to social situations. Pokémon he could figure out; people were complicated, especially girls.

"Well Ash, I may have only been traveling with you guys a few days, but it seems pretty obvious to me that she likes you."

"Of course she likes me Brock," Ash said, "she and I are good friends, like I said"

"No Ash, I mean she _likes_ you. Like a man likes a woman or a girl likes a boy."

"Uh, you're not making any sense Brock."

"Alright, let me put it in terms you can understand. She likes you in the same way that I liked every Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and any other pretty girl that would come along. Get it?"

Some degree of understanding was starting to dawn on Ash's face, but he was still confused. "Yeah, but Brock she's never said anything really silly like you used to do."

"I know Ash, and looking back I realize just how immature I was. But not everyone who likes someone shows it like I would."

"Well, that's a relief, I'd hate for Serena to start acting like you did."

"Ha-ha Ash," Brock responded, taking the criticism in good humor. "But seriously, it's pretty clear she has romantic feelings for you. Serious feelings."

"I don't think so Brock," Ash responded. "She's just a really nice girl is all."

"She is definitely nice, but when it comes to you her feelings go way beyond that."

"Says the guy who was convinced he could win over every Jenny and Joy he met."

"That's entirely different. I never thought for one second that all those girls already liked me, quite the opposite. Why do you think I would always say those silly things?"

Ash shrugged. "You got me Brock. I didn't understand it then and don't understand it now."

"It's because I wanted to win their affection that I professed my undying love. I've never had a problem with recognizing someone else's feelings, only finding the best way to share mine."

Ash made a cough that sounded suspiciously like "Suzy."

Brock was surprised at Ash's subtlety but didn't miss a beat. "Okay, so my senses aren't fool-proof, but I'm not wrong about this." As he thought about how to move Ash in the right direction, with a sudden flash of inspiration the genesis of a plan formed in Brock's mind, a plan so cunning that if there were doctorates in cunning he'd be able to earn one with this plan alone.

Smiling, Brock immediately initiated the first part of his plan. "What would you say if I could help you prove me right Mr. Future Greatest Pokémon Master Ever? All you need to do is apply one of the key skills of a Pokémon Master in a somewhat different way."

"Really?" Ash was surprised to hear this. Relationships, and girls in particular, were something he'd always found a mixture of confusing and uninteresting. He hadn't really had many good friends before he started his journey; Pallet was small and Gary's bullying had made him reluctant to spend a lot of time around the few other kids around his age; Pokémon were more interesting anyways. Being on a journey he had expected to make friends with a lot of cool Pokémon; he hadn't expected to discover just how cool it was to make human friends as well. But he had, and now he could see it was one of the best things about being on a journey.

"Romance" however was another matter. He honestly had never seen the appeal. He'd also never considered it could have anything to do with his great passion in life: becoming a Pokémon Master. He expressed this skepticism aloud. "I may not know much about girls Brock, but I am pretty sure that battling, catching, and training girls isn't the right approach."

At this Brock smiled, remembering Ash and Misty's bickering. "You'd be surprised how much those things do relate to romance, but none of those are what I meant. I was rather referring to a skill all great Pokémon trainers have, something that Tracey specializes in."

"Watching?" Ash guessed.

"Exactly," replied Brock.

"But isn't it kind of weird to stare at girls?" Ash had always thought Tracey's sketches of Pokémon were cool, but had found his habit of drawing different girls a bit weird.

"I don't mean sitting around and staring at girls...it's more like paying close attention. You can learn a lot about Pokémon from simply observing them, right?"

"Sure," Ash nodded. "I mean, I never could just sit around and look at wild Pokémon all day like Tracey or like Professor Oak, but watching Pokémon battle helps you understand them better. Everyone knows that."

"Okay Ash, well then why don't you start watching Serena in the same way you would watch a Pokémon battle. Specifically, pay attention to how she acts around you and the things that she says to you."

"Yeah, but what exactly am I looking for Brock? With Pokémon, I know you should be watching what kind of attacks they like, whether they prefer to dodge or take a hit, that sort of thing. But what am I watching for when it comes to Serena?"

"Well Ash, I can't give you a full list of course, but in the past few days I've noticed a number of things that are telltale signs. For instance, she is always asking for your opinion about different things; even if she's asking everyone, she always makes sure to single you out. She sings your praises constantly. And last but not least, she has the tendency to blush a lot around you, especially when you compliment her."

"Really? Huh," murmured Ash, "I hadn't really noticed. I mean, some of that seems familiar, but are you sure these things happen a lot? And what makes those things signs of her, you know, liking me like that?"

"Well Ash, if you watch over the next few days you'll see her do all these things and more. And you're right, no one of these actions means by itself means that she likes you. But, when you consider the number of things she does and the frequency with which they occur, it all adds up to one conclusion."

Ash sighed. "I guess that kinda makes sense." Before Ash could continue to say he still didn't didn't agree with Brock's conclusion, his old friend interrupted.

"Exactly! Look Ash, I don't expect you to agree with me right now. But why don't you pay attention over the next few days, see what you notice. Then we'll find some time when it's just you and me, and you can tell me whether you think I'm on the right track or I'm completely out of my mind."

"Sounds good to me." Ash stood up and stretched out his arms. "Well, that was a nice break. Let's go find some Pokémon!"

Brock couldn't help but chuckle at Ash suddenly shifting gears. But he'd accomplished what he'd wanted to and Brock counted that as a victory. Rising as well, Brock joined his longtime friend and together the two walked further into Reflection Cave.

After another half hour and a few missed opportunities Brock's chance finally came. They were exploring down a particularly dark side passage and, noticing it was a dead end, were starting to turn around when they heard the distinct noise of rocks clattering. Shining their flashlights in the direction of the sound and then scanning in that vicinity, a sudden movement caught Brock's attention. Ash pointed his flashlight in that direction as well. It took a second, but they quickly realized that they had a Pokémon in their sights.

The Pokémon in question was small, probably only about a foot high. It looked very much like a rock, though it was encrusted with jewels at random intervals. It also had a small face that was clearly visible in the glow of the artificial light.

Ash got out his Pokedex and, holding it up, activated the scan feature. After humming for a second the correct entry began to play. _"Carbink, the Jewel Pokémon. Born from temperatures and pressures deep underground, it fires beams from the stone in its head."_

"Says here it's both a Rock and a Fairy type. And it's only known habitat is here in the Kalos Region. Looks like we've finally found what you're looking for," Ash smiled.

"Excellent, thanks Ash!" Brock took out a Pokeball and enlarged it. Tossing it, he exclaimed, "Alright, Forrtreess, let's go!"

"Forrtreess," the Bagworm Pokémon shouted as it materialized.

Carbink looked left and right. One way was a dead end, the other was blocked by Ash and Pikachu. Backed into a corner as it was, Carbink realized that it had no place to go and it would have to stay and fight.

"Alright Forrtress, start off with Rapid Spin!"

Forrtress verbally acknowledged Brock's command and then begin to rotate itself. Once it had built up a certain speed, it launched itself at Carbink, hitting it dead on. The Jewel Pokémon went flying into the air, landing against the dead end of the passage several yards away. Yet despite this, it looked relatively undamaged.

"Uh Brock, doesn't look like that move was very effective."

"No worries Ash," Brock smiled, "I know Normal type moves don't have much effect on Rock types. I want to see how Carbink responds."

"Right," Ash murmured, "watching." Mentally shaking off the new association that word had, he focused back on the battle.

"Carbink!" The Jewel Pokémon issued a loud shout of frustration and then concentrated its energy, causing its skin to shimmer.

"Alright Forrtress, it just used Harden. Go ahead and use Rapid Spin again!"

Forrtress responded with another Rapid Spin attack. This time when the two collided it was Forrtress that flew backwards while the wild Carbink barely budged. Carbink then started building up energy and, instead of channeling it inward, sent a green orb outward hurtling at Forrtress. The ball connected, sending Forrtress hurtling into one of the cave's side walls. The collision reverberated throughout the cave; clearly the impact had caused quite a bit of damage.

"That was Ancient Power," Brock murmured. Turning to his Pokémon, he asked, "You alright there Forrtress?"

Brock was still calm but Ash could tell there was some concern in his old friend's voice. At Forrtress' verbal affirmation, Brock smiled. "Alright then, let's show this Carbink what we can really do. Forrtress, use Mirror Shot!

"Wow, so Forrtress learned Mirror Shot," Ash said. "That's so cool!"

"Well, I figured it was about time a Steel type Pokémon learned a Steel type move," Brock quipped.

Before Ash could respond Forrtress launched a solid beam of light at Carbink. The attack hit Carbink hard, sending it spinning upward right into the roof of the cave. The force of the impact reverberated loudly, echoing off the cave walls. After a moment wedged in the ceiling, Carbink began to fall rapidly to the ground. As it plummeted Brock quickly enlarged his Dusk Ball and hurled it at the falling Carbink. The ball connected with Carbink in mid-air and opened, converting Carbink into energy and then snapping shut. The ball then fell the rest of the way down to the ground and, hitting the floor with a thud, began to roll around, a clear sign of Carbink trying to escape. Brock clenched his fist, staring at the ball intently, willing it to stop even though he knew at this point the matter was out of his control. After a few moments he heard what he was waiting for: the tell-tale ping of a Pokeball sealing.

"Alright, I got a Carbink!" Brock pumped his fist and raised in the air, striking a victory pose modeled after Ash's and yet all his own. He walked over and picked up the Dusk Ball, his new Carbink contained inside.

"Great job Brock! Forrtress has gotten even stronger than the last time I saw it."

"Yeah, Forrest has been doing a good job minding the Gym and taking care of my old Pokémon, even non-Rock ones like Forrtress that he doesn't use to battle challengers. He'll make a great Breeder one day that's for sure."

"Really? Is that what he wants to do?"

Brock nodded. "Once one of my other siblings is ready to take over the Gym he plans to go on a journey of his own and find out for sure. I guess you can say ol' Brock inspired him."

They both chuckled at this. At that moment an echoing sound interrupted their mirth. While high-pitched it was not so loud at first, it quickly grew in volume, quickly reaching deafening levels. Brock, realizing what was going on, pointed and shouted.

Ash noticed Brock's lips moving but could not make out what he was saying over the din. He leaned in close. Brock turned his head and bellowed directly into Ash's ears.

"Woobat Ash! A whole bunch of them. We better run!"

Needing no further encouragement, Ash motioned to Pikachu and then quickly began running back in the direction from which they came. Brock quickly returned Forrtress and began to follow. With his longer legs he soon caught up to Ash and then passed him. After a few moments however he began to slow, feeling the strain of the effort, and Ash surged ahead. While Brock tried to keep in shape, there was no substitute for the fitness that came from walking long distances daily. Looking over his shoulder to check on Brock's progress, Ash spotted the lead edge of what must be an enormous colony of Woobat, much larger than the one they had fought through previously, and they were gaining rapidly. Seeing no other choice, Ash wheeled around to face the opposite direction, deciding to make a stand. Brock came to a halt as well, taking his place beside Ash, both trainers ready to face the maelstrom about to overtake them.

Ash and Brock in sight, the colony began circling, voices still loud but a bit quieter now that they could use sight, not merely sound, to intimidate. The cave ceiling at the point the two trainers stopped was not terribly high, maybe 15 feet, but the passage was quite wide. The entire top half of the chamber quickly filled with Woobat, all clearly agitated and ready for a fight. Brock shouted and this time Ash was able to make out his words.

"We must have disturbed them when I battled Carbink. Or maybe the group from before brought back some friends. Either way I don't see any other way around it Ash. Carbink is too exhausted to battle and Forrtress is weak against Flying types. I'll call out Chansey. Think any of your other Pokémon can help?"

Ash nodded, determination clear on his face. Flinging his Pokeball, Ash cried, "Froakie, I choose you!"

Froakie appeared, quickly joined by Brock's Chansey. Pikachu stood alert, ready to strike; he knew that, as an Electric type, Brock and Ash would be leaning heavily on him.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Froakie, use your frubbles to pin some of those Woobat to the walls!"

Simultaneously Brock called out his own command. "Chansey, start grabbing some rocks and throw them at the Woobat." As Pikachu began charging his electricity, Froakie started hurling frubbles at the Woobat. Chansey, with its great strength, had no problem picking and throwing up anything in sight at the circling colony. While the sheer number of Woobat made it hard for them to miss, it also meant that its efforts were barely making a dent. Further enraged by these attacks, the Woobat turned and began to dive towards the three Pokémon and their trainers.

"Pi-Ka-Chu!" screamed the Mouse Pokémon. A titanic bolt of electric energy launched itself into the air, engulfing the entire colony and driving them back. Yet, as powerful as Pikachu was, so much energy spread out over such a wide area meant that each individual Woobat didn't receive much. But there was no other choice; unless they could hold off the whole colony they would be overwhelmed.

"Hit 'em again Pikachu!"

As the other two Pokémon continued their attacks, Pikachu charged and unleashed another bolt. This too had only a temporary effect. The Woobat, realizing that they still had the upper hand, began to pelt both trainer and Pokémon with a relentless barrage of attacks.

* * *

><p>"Do you hear that guys?" Serena's hearing had always been sensitive, a trait that had always proved singularly unfortunate when trying to sleep in.<p>

Without the benefit of a clear map the group had gotten turned around a bit, but now were confident they were on the right path out…or at least Clemont was confident; Serena and Bonnie weren't as sure.

"I don't hear anything," Clemont responded.

"I hear it too Serena," Bonnie added, "though it sounds far away. What could it be?"

"No idea," replied Serena, "though it's nothing good I'm sure. Maybe we should go the other way." At this Serena pointed. The three companions had just come to a fork. Ahead of them stood two separate paths, with the sound Serena and Bonnie noticed coming from the right branch.

"Well," responded Clemont, "see there, the path where the sound is coming from slopes down, which means it leads further into the cave. We're going to go left," at this Clemont pointed, "since it slopes up."

Serena didn't quite agree with this logic; caves had lots of twists, so a path that went up now could slope back down later. And all the mirrors in this cave had made it even more confusing. Yet she had no idea which way to go and wasn't too keen on finding out what that ominous noise was.

"Okay, let's go left then!" Serena agreed.

Turning, the group began to make their way toward the left path when suddenly the volume of the sound increased sharply. It wasn't just the volume though; with a start Serena thought she discerned a shout amidst the cacophony.

"I hear it now too," Clemont said, voice full of concern.

"I think I heard a person shouting," Serena added worriedly. "What if someone needs help?"

"Well if somebody needs help we better do something," Bonnie said with enthusiasm. Bonnie turned and gestured toward the right path. "Come on big brother, let's go!"

"Bonnie's right Clemont, we should go see if we can help." Tossing her Pokeball she shouted, "Fennekin, I need you!"

Clemont called out Bunnleby and Chespin as well. Together the trainers and the Pokémon started down the sloping path towards the commotion at a brisk pace. After about a minute of running the path widened into a much larger chamber. The first thing Serena and the others noticed was the huge colony of Woobat flying in circles and launching a steady stream of attacks. The second thing they noticed was the target of those attacks: Ash, Brock, and their Pokémon. The sight of it caused Serena's heart to skip a beat and then rapidly accelerate in fear. _"Now's not the time to panic. Ash is always so brave; you have to be brave too!"_ Aloud she said, "Fennekin, Flamethrower!"

In sizing up the scene, Clemont was thrown off balance by the sheer enormity of the problem facing his friends. Pessimism settled in. Gulping, his mind started racing. _"If I had my whole Gym battle team with me that'd be one thing; between them and Pikachu we'd be able to handle this. But Chespin and Bunnleby won't be much help against so many Flying types. Plus Serena and Fennekin haven't had much battle experience."_

Serena's sudden command shook him out of his stupor. _"No time to worry about what might have been. I'm a Gym Leader, time to act like one."_ Aloud he said, "Let's help too! Chespin, use Pin Missile. Bunnleby, use Mud Shot.

The Pokémon all unleashed their attacks into the swarming Woobat. This drew the attention not just of the Woobat, but of Ash and Brock as well. Waving to his friends, Ash called out, "Hey guys, glad you could make it." The relief in his voice was obvious. Turning to Pikachu, Ash called out, "Alright buddy, now that we got some help let's try something different. Instead of trying to hit them all at once, use Thunderbolt but focus your electricity on a small group of them!"

Pikachu nodded. The Mouse Pokémon had been doing a lot of dodging and shocking over the past few minutes, suffering a number of hits all the while; he was nowhere near top form. The arrival of the others had taken the pressure off him for a few moments, allowing him some much needed rest. But now was the time to act. Charging his electricity to full capacity, he unleashed a massive barrage of energy directed at a small group of Swootbat. The sheer amount of energy hitting each one was massive, enough to send them falling towards the cave floor unconscious. Startled both the new arrivals and by Pikachu's devastating Thunderbolt, the remaining Woobat decided to retreat, beating their wings and heading back the way they came.

After the Woobat were out of sight Ash and Brock quickly returned their wounded Pokémon; all of them had taken significant damage. Only Pikachu remained out. Seeing the danger had passed for the moment, Serena and Clemont also returned their Pokémon. Brock spoke first.

"Woobat are easily startled, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers. It'd be best if we were gone by then." Everyone nodded at this.

"Ash, Pikachu, are you alright? What about you Brock?" The concern in Serena's voice was evident.

"No need to worry," Ash said, dusting himself off, "just a few cuts and bruises is all. Isn't that right buddy?"

"Pi-ka-chu," Ash's partner responded in affirmation.

"Yeah, nothing major," replied Brock.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Serena said, looking at Ash intently. Realizing she was staring, she quickly turned to Brock and added, "I mean, glad both of you are okay."

Before his conversation with Brock, Ash wouldn't have noticed anything weird about what had just occurred. But now that we was paying attention, he could swear Serena looking at him a bit longer than seemed necessary when she said those words…and the intensity behind them seemed a little strong. _"Maybe this is what Brock meant."_ Ash seriously considered the notion for a second. Maybe…and maybe not. He could have just been imagining it. Either way, one incident said nothing. He'd just have to keep watching and see.

* * *

><p><strong>In the anime there's not been a compelling reason to confront Ash on his denseness so the characters tend to just move on whenever it comes up. Hopefully I did a passable job of handling what would happen if someone actually forced the issue. Especially given some of the stuff in the original series, it's just ridiculous to believe that Ash is so dense that he doesn't have a (conceptual) understanding of what romance is. But it's hard to balance keeping him in character versus getting him together with Serena.<br>**

**I'll admit that Brock is a bit wiser when it comes to love in this chapter and throughout this fic. While it is necessary for the entire premise of the story, it's also reasonable. I think he took a big step in maturity by stopping traveling with Ash (though it was sad to see him go) and given the medical school context (more professional and surrounded by peers / older people rather than younger kids all the time) I feel he'll have grown a lot.**

**Some of the reactions to Bonnie and Clemont fighting last chapter surprised me a bit. All siblings bicker, sometimes worse than others. Is it sad? Of course! But I feel it's realistic, especially given that the "mirror" portrayal of Bonnie is one of complete politeness and support for Clemont. They won't be going at it again though. **

**As for my thoughts about Ash's childhood, again this is trying to bring a dose of realism to explain the available facts. Pallet Town is clearly small, so there probably weren't many other kids around to begin with. Ash is never shown to have any friends from before his journey started other than Gary. (and now Serena). Along with being an only child and being obsessed over Pokémon, it seems like a reasonable explanation for Ash's behavior early in the series and his ongoing neutron star level denseness when it comes to girls. I'd say his social deficiencies are more about lack of interest and experience early in life, especially since he ends up getting on with Brock and Misty and becoming friends with Gary. It's just my theory. Like my other interpretations (such as the economy from last chapter) it won't have a huge bearing on the story.  
><strong>

**There are three quotations in this chapter, all adapted to varying degrees. The first is from _God's Smuggler_. The second is from_ Blackadder_. If you've never heard of it, there's hours of comedic gold ahead, especially once you're past Series 1. The last one is from one of my all-time favorite movies. The movie is pretty famous and one people are inclined to watch repeatedly, so I'll just say that if one of you can't pick it out down I'll be quite disappointed. I don't own any of these quotes or their source material.**


	8. A Heart at Peace?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Brock would actually get a girl. _

_"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." _- Proverbs 14:30_  
><em>

* * *

><p>It turned out Clemont had been right; the path that he had indicated to Serena and Bonnie earlier indeed led back to the mouth of the cave. Not only was he right about the direction, he actually led the group the whole way there, adrenaline doing what Bonnie's admonitions couldn't. But now, as the entire group stood at just outside the cave and let loose a collective sigh of relief, the Lumiose Gym leader flopped to the ground, panting in exhaustion.<p>

"Water," he croaked.

Ordinarily Bonnie would have taken an opportunity like this one to complain once again about Clemont's lack of physical fitness, but his performance over the past several minutes had really impressed her. Instead she replied, "Don't worry big brother, I'll get some for you."

Walking over to Clemont's prone form, she opened his backpack and, after rummaging through it for a moment, lifted out a canteen. After helping her brother roll over onto his back, she opened the canteen and handed it to him. Clemont nodded his thanks to Bonnie and then began to gulp the water within greedily.

"Water sounds like a good idea," Ash said, "rest too."

"Sure Ash," acknowledged Brock, "but we shouldn't stay out here too long. Sunset isn't that far off; we do not want to be too close to the cave after dark. If we are I guarantee we'll run into more Woobat…or worse."

Nodding at Brock's wisdom, the group made their stop quick. Before long they were off again on the path back to Cyllage City. Though exhausted, the group moved relatively quickly, spending little time on idle chatter. After about an hour, as the last rays of the sun's light were peaking over the horizon, Brock spotted a suitable clearing to make camp just off the main path. Before long tents were up and the fire was going. Clemont, exhausted as he was, retreated to his tent for a well-earned rest, thankful that Brock's presence meant that someone else was handling the cooking. Bonnie went to her tent as well, Pikachu and Dedenne in tow.

Serena and Brock quickly began to work on dinner, leaving Ash a bit put out. He'd tried to learn cooking from Brock on more than one occasion until, after a particularly disastrous evening in Hoenn, he'd given up the effort. At times like this he'd usually go out and do some training, but considering what his Pokémon had been through today that wouldn't be fair to them. Finding himself a comfortable spot by the fire, he plopped himself down and hoped that dinner would be ready soon.

* * *

><p>Serena's second cooking lesson had begun well. But after a few minutes she began to struggle to keep focused. It was not that she was bored; on the contrary, the lesson was quite interesting. It was rather Ash's presence that drove her to distraction. She didn't want to look stupid in front of the boy she loved. She also couldn't help but sneak glances at him as he stared intently into the firelight. She wondered what it would feel like to have him look at her like that…<p>

"Serena, are you paying attention?" Brock's soft tone was playful but she could tell that he was serious.

"Oh sorry, what were you saying?" Serena fixed her gaze directly at Brock. Suddenly something occurred to her. "Not that I don't want to get back to the lesson, but I just realized I never asked…so did you find the Pokémon you were looking for?"

The word "Pokémon" pulled Ash's focus away from the fire and towards his two friends. "He sure did. Brock, why don't you call it out?"

"I'll show everyone after dinner," Brock replied, "but for now, it's back to the lesson…unless you want to take over Ash?"

Laughing at this, Ash responded, "No way Brock, no one does it as well as you! Plus I'm 'banned for life,' remember?"

Brock chuckled at the memory. "That's right, we wouldn't want to defy the 'Princess of Hoenn' now would we?"

"What do you mean Ash is banned from cooking forever?" Serena's tone clearly indicated that she had no idea what her male companions were going on about. "And what's this about a Princess?"

Brock smiled. "Well Serena, it's the perfect opportunity for me to see how much you remember about ingredient prep. Keeping chopping these up while I tell you about the last time I tried to teach Ash to cook…"

As Serena worked at getting the ingredients ready she listened to Brock's reminiscence. While she messed up with the chopping once or twice, by and large she was able to get the job done while soaking in the honestly hilarious story of Ash's last attempt at making Brock's stew. The only thing about the experience that made her a bit uncomfortable was the few times Ash interjected with comments about May. It was clear that he cared a lot about the Pokémon Coordinator and, despite Brock's earlier assurances, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.

As Brock told the story, Ash laughed along with his two friends. He didn't have any problem making light of his own deficiencies, at least not when it came to cooking. But he also used the opportunity to pay close attention to Serena, watching for any signs of something that might indicate anything…well weird. It took him a while, but he gradually noticed that Serena's face would become a little tense every time he mentioned May. Straining his mind to drudge up the memories of the soap operas his mother had forced him to sit through years ago, he thought he recalled something about jealously being a sign of love. He decided to try a bit of an experiment. Noticing Brock was coming to the climax of the story, Ash realized it would present him with a golden opportunity to test it out this new "attack." Thinking about it in such terms made him feel a bit better about what he was going to do; after all, he put his Pokémon friends through attacks all the time.

"And the look on May's face when she realized not only Ash had completely burned up all our remaining stew ingredients, but we had no other food left and would have to wait until we arrived at the next town to eat anything...well, let's just say I've seen angry Steelix look more pleasant." Brock shuddered in fear after he concluded this last bit.

"Yeah, it was pretty scary," Ash shuddered as well. "You remember how halfway through yelling at me she tried to, I don't know what she was trying to do exactly, but she just started trying to hit me…"

Brock chuckled at this. "Actually, I'd forgotten that particular detail."

"Yeah, she may be a Pokémon Coordinator, but there was nothing coordinated about that attack. To tell you the truth it was kind of cute the way she was swinging her arms like that as you tried to hold her back." As he said this Ash paid particular attention to Serena. When he came to the word 'cute' he definitely noticed something cross Serena's face…something that reminded him of the angry expression on May's face when she'd realized that there was no food left. It was briefer and less intense, but it was definitely similar.

"Ash, you have a weird sense of what goes for 'cute,'" Brock responded, shaking his head. He honestly didn't think Ash had ever used the word 'cute' to refer to a girl before, however obliquely. Either Ash was messed up in the head or he was intentionally trying to provoke a reaction from Serena. He immediately dismissed the second notion. "_This _is_ Ash I'm talking about."_

"Yeah," Ash chuckled, "I guess that's not the right word. It was hilarious anyways." Looking back at Serena, Ash expected to see a relieved expression when he said it wasn't so cute after all. Instead, her expression was completely blank. _"This observing people thing is real confusing. I hope I didn't hurt her feelings." _The sudden stab of guilt he had at this thought was unsettling to say the least.

"Well," said Serena, forcing herself to stay cool, "if we don't want a repeat of that incident we better get keep the lesson going. I think everything is ready Brock, what comes next?"

Turning his attention away from Ash and back to the ingredients, he quickly confirmed that Serena's assessment was correct and begin to explain the next step. As the conversation returned to food preparation, Ash decided now was as good a time as any to go find a place to relieve himself. After saying as much to the pair of chefs, Ash went off into the woods to find so privacy. Hopefully the trip would help him clear his mind a bit.

Knowing he didn't have much time to implement Phase Two of his cunning plan, Brock turned to Serena. "So I had my conversation with Ash."

Serena's gaze darted back and forth nervously. Although she knew Ash was probably well out of earshot, she still was a bit nervous that he would somehow overhear and even more nervous about what Brock was going to say. "And," she asked, waiting for his response with bated breath.

"Long story short, Ash doesn't believe that you're interested in him as anything more than a friend. So I didn't really move the conversation on to his feelings. What I did do was tell him to watch you for the next few days and look out for signs you are interested in him in a romantic way. So you should make sure to throw him a lot of hints."

"But Brock, if I've been as obvious as everyone says…" Serena started, skepticism clear in her voice.

"Don't worry about that. Besides, I'm not asking you to throw yourself at him. Just tone it up some more. I gave him a number of specific examples to look for. So be sure to direct a lot of comments at him, especially compliments. And blush a lot!"

"I can't do that," Serena said, blushing as she did so.

"No sweat, you're blushing right now."

"But," she started. Suddenly, a twig snapped and their conversation came to a screeching halt. A few seconds later Ash emerged from the trees.

Without missing a beat, Brock said, "Now that the water has come to a boil, go ahead and add the onions."

Not even sparing them a glance, Ash walked back over to the fire and flopped down, resuming his vigil. Unbeknownst to his companions, Ash's lack of attention was due to his focus on thoughts on the very same topic as their rushed conversation. Far from clearing his head, the trip had made Ash realize that, for once, he had a lot to think about, none of it Pokémon related.

Before too long dinner was ready. Bonnie and Clemont emerged from their respective tents and joined the others for another hearty meal. Ash made sure he complimented Serena on the meal, Serena hoped her blush was visible in the firelight, and Brock mentally rubbed his hands together, happy his little scheme seemed to be working. After their supper was done and everything cleared away, Brock decided it was time to introduce his newest Pokémon to everyone. Tossing out the Dusk Ball, Carbink materialized in a brilliant display of white light.

"Wow, it's soooo cute!" Bonnie did a little dance in excitement.

"I agree, it is kind of cute," Serena said. "It's even shaped a bit like a heart." At this she glanced sideways at Ash, but he wasn't paying attention, his gaze instead fixed on Brock's newest Pokémon.

"Carbink," the Jewel Pokémon said with excitement. Although, like most Pokémon, it hadn't been terribly thrilled about being battled while it was trying to go about its business, now that it had been captured and was surrounded by so many friendly faces, it couldn't help but feel excited.

"Nenene," Dedenne chattered, head poking out of Bonnie's bag.

"You want to play with it Dedenne," Bonnie asked. "Well okay, here you go," she said, letting the Antenna Pokémon down. Dedenne quickly scampered over to Carbink and before long the two were acting like old friends. The group all smiled at this.

For the next hour or so everyone had a fine time playing with their Pokémon and chatting with one another. The mood was relaxed and light, the conflicts and conversations of earlier in the day a distant memory. Before long though it was time for bed; they had a long day's hike ahead of them tomorrow and so needed to turn in relatively early. Recalling their Pokémon and putting out the fire, the group retired to their tents, all eager for what the morrow would bring.

* * *

><p>After a quick breakfast the next morning, the group broke camp and resumed their trek back to Cyllage City. Even with getting up as early as they had, arriving back at the Pokémon Center in time for dinner would require a brisk pace. About midmorning, as the group was just getting back on the road after a brief break, they heard something rustling in the brush. Instantly alert, the group stopped. Pikachu tensed, prepared to battle if necessary. Ash, Brock and Clemont all had their fingers on their Pokeballs, ready to spring into action, while Bonnie wrapped her arms around Serena, gripping her tightly. Yesterday's altercation with the Woobat was fresh on everyone's minds and they were taking no chances. Suddenly something emerged from the undergrowth and stepped out into the light, surprising our heroes.<p>

The figure was no forest Pokémon, but rather the figure of a girl. More precisely, she was an attractive young woman clad in hiking clothing that, while clearly functional, nevertheless exuded a strong sense of sophistication. She stood a bit taller than Brock and Clemont but was probably no more than a year or two older than them. Dusting herself off and pulling some stray brambles from her flowing auburn hair, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, voici la route!" she said. Turning, she jumped with a start when she realized she was not alone. Recovering quickly, she then smiled and greeted the friends with a question. "Bonjour mes amis, où est-ce qu'on trouve la Grotte Miroitante?"

Ash and Brock stared at her blankly while Clemont and Bonnie chuckled nervously. Looking to to the blonde siblings and, quickly realizing neither was going to respond, Serena stepped forward and began to rapidly converse with the stranger in the same melodious tongue, gesturing as she went. Brock and Ash turned to Clemont and Bonnie, questions evident in their faces.

"Serena's giving her directions," Clemont supplied.

"I got that," Ash responded, "but I didn't realize Serena spoke a foreign language!"

"It's not foreign silly," Bonnie interjected, "that's the language of Kalos."

"Language of Kalos?" Ash was clearly confused. "But we're all speaking the same language."

Adjusting his glasses, Clemont responded. "Well today we speak the same language as the other regions. But what they're speaking is the traditional tongue of Kalos. Nowadays you don't really find it much northern Kalos. It's not until you reach Kiloude City and further south that it's still the everyday language."

"Yeah, I remember reading that when I applied for my rotation," Brock added. "They said you wouldn't really need it, at least not in Lumiose City."

"So do you and Bonnie speak it?" Ash was curious, but he was also a bit worried; he wasn't sure how fun it would be if all three of his Kalos companions started talking in another language all the time.

Clemont chuckled nervously. "Well, the thing is we had some lessons when we were younger, but we stopped after a while. We can understand a decent amount, but when it comes to speaking…well it's a bit embarrassing." At this Clemont turned red.

After the initial question, Bonnie hadn't really been paying attention to the boys' conversation. Instead, she was staring intently at Serena and the stranger. Had the boys noticed this, they might have assumed that Bonnie was trying to make out their conversation. But the young girl had something quite different in mind.

"Merci Serena," the stranger replied. Turning to go, she felt something tugging at her side. Turning, she looked down and saw the little girl staring up, beaming at her.

"Take care of my brother s'il vous plaît," Bonnie began. "I know he doesn't look like much, but he's a Gym leader. A southern belle like you would make him a fine wife!"

"Bonnie," screamed Clemont, face drained of all color "not again! This is so embarrassing!"

The young woman stared at Bonnie, shock and confusion written across her face. A robotic arm emerged from Clemont's backpack and snaked over to Bonnie, grabbing her and lifting her up and away from the confused young woman.

"I hope you'll think about it," Bonnie smiled, waving as Clemont huffed off, Bonnie in tow.

Brock turned to Ash, laughing. "So Bonnie is like Max in reverse?"

Ash smiled, "Actually, she reminds me more of you, except she's not after them for herself."

Chuckling at that Brock turned to the still-confused young woman. "Bonjour mademoiselle," he began, clearly butchering the pronunciation, "My name is Brock and I'm from Pewter City. Pleasure to meet you," at this he extended his hand.

Really taking a look at the group for the first time, the young woman took his hand and replied, "Bonjour Brock, my name is Gabrielle. Pleazure to meet you." Her accent was quite thick, clearly influenced by her native tongue. It reminded them both of Fantina, the Hearthome City Gym leader.

"And I'm Ash," smiled the black-haired trainer, offering his hand as well, "and I'm from Pallet Town."

"Zose are both in Kanto, no," Gabrielle replied as she shook Ash's hand.

"That's right," Ash replied. "I'm here to win the Kalos League and to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master!"

"And you Brock," Gabrielle said, staring at the trainer intently. "Are you 'ere to challenge ze League also?"

"Nah," Brock replied, "while I used to be a Gym Leader back in Kanto, after traveling with Ash through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh I actually decided to study Pokémon medicine. I'm just visiting Ash for the week before heading to Lumiose City to work in the St. James' Pokémon Hospital for a few months. Then it's back to Kanto to continue my studies."

"So you wish to be a Pokémon Doctor," she murmured. "A fine choice, zough it is a pity zat you won't be 'ere for very long. Still…" at this she trailed off. Reaching into her pocket, she produced a sleek looking phone. She thrust it at Brock. "I would like to 'ave your number just in case."

Serena was embarrassed at the girl's forwardness. Apparently people in southern Kalos was not as "traditional" as they presented themselves. Ash on the other hand was flabbergasted. After seeing Brock get shot down so many times, to see something like this…it was shocking to say the least.

Up to this point Brock had been keeping his cool, looking calm and in control, but upon taking the phone from Gabrielle a goofy grin spread across his face. While he was typing in his number Ash Ketchum mentally sighed in relief; he knew that look and it helped reassure him that that he hadn't somehow wandered into one of Brock's dreams.

Upon receiving her phone back from Brock Gabrielle gave a little curtsey, which she somehow managed to make look elegant and graceful despite being clad in hiking pants. "It was so nice to meet all of you. 'Ope to see you again soon." She made sure to catch Brock's eye as she said the last part. She whirled and, with a flounce of her hips that was quite obviously exaggerated, she took off in the direction of Reflection Cave.

They all watched her retreat in silence. After she had gone far enough to be out of earshot, Ash said aloud what everyone but Brock was thinking. "Well that was weird."

"If I'm dreaming don't wake me up," Brock said with a giddy tone in his voice and a blush on his face, clearly still in shock from what had just transpired.

Awkwardness hung in the air a moment. Deciding to break the spell Ash turned to Serena. "So Serena, I didn't know you could speak another language. That's so cool!"

Serena felt a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. "Thanks Ash, but it's no big deal."

Ash smiled. He'd noticed the blush but it didn't necessarily mean anything. One thing was still bugging him though. "But I'm confused…she speaks with a pretty strong accent. But you don't really have one."

"Ah, well everyone in Vaniville Town is pretty much bilingual. About half the families in town use one language and half use the other, so we all had to learn both at school. Mom and I don't speak it at home so I'm nowhere near as good as Gabrielle or someone from the far south. But I can at least pronounce both languages like a native."

"That makes sense," Clemont said, rejoining the group and the conversation. "Vaniville Town is at the northern edge of South Kalos or the southern edge of North Kalos, depending on how you look at it. If I had known I was going to be a Gym Leader I wouldn't have quit studying. Some of the people from the South get really upset if you can't use their language."

"We should probably get going," Brock said, having recovered from what was to him a very surreal experience. "We've advanced pretty far today already but there's still much more road to come."

At this the group resumed their journey on the Miroir Way back to Cyllage City. Throughout the day the conversation danced between a number of different subjects. For the most part though the three Kalos natives were interested in hearing more from Brock, asking about his experiences traveling with Ash, what it was like studying to be a Pokémon Doctor, and his impressions of the Kalos region so far.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon they finally glimpsed Cyllage City in the distance. While the sight of their destination did cause them to pick up their pace in anticipation, as they drew closer they gradually came to a stop, transfixed by the beauty of the city at sunset. Nestled between the cliffs and the Western Sea, Cyllage City was well-known for its excellent sunsets. Coming from Route 11 to the North, the five travelers had a magnificent view, the sun's orange rays playing off the ocean, buildings, and the cliffs in a swirling mixture of beauty as appealing to the eyes as Brock's cooking to the tongue. The gentle feel of the sea breeze, the salty taste in the air, and the sound of the Wingulls' call engaged their other senses, heightening the intensity of the experience and serving as an excellent frame to the magnificent vista. All five of them stood entranced. Even Ash, who wasn't one for remaining still, was caught up in this vision of beauty.

As the sun's light faded beneath the horizon and the lesser lights began to twinkle in the sky, with unspoken consent the group resumed their walk. Before long they arrived at the Pokémon Center. Serena had called ahead to reserve their rooms; once again, Brock would be bunking by himself while the rest of the group would share. After picking up their keys from Nurse Joy the five friends headed straight for the cafeteria. The long day's walk and light lunch had left them eager to dig in. Everyone took more food than normal and ate with a gusto that made them look like Ash and Ash look like a rampaging Snorlax. Even Serena, who was usually quite fastidious when it came to eating and manners, ate with an abandon that would have resulted in a scolding had her mother been present.

While conversation was sparse during the meal, as it was winding down Brock, being the responsible one, realized they had yet to set any sort of plans for the day to come.

"So guys, any ideas for what to do tomorrow?"

Four sets of eyes turned to Brock, and then to one another expectantly. Each was hoping that one of the others would have a suggestion. As the seconds ticked on and no one made a move to respond, Brock smiled.

"No need to worry guys, we can think of something at breakfast."

There were audible sighs of relief at this. Serena spoke up. "Thanks Brock, I think we're all really tired. Plus we spend two whole days here waiting for you to arrive, so we've pretty much seen everything." Realizing how this sounded, she hastened to continue. "Not that we're not okay with doing something twice!"

Before Brock could respond Ash slammed is fist down on the table, startling the group. Turning to look at him, they all saw an expression of satisfaction on his face. "I've got it," he exclaimed. "Why don't we go to the Gym? I'd love to see you battle Grant!"

"Wow Ash, that's a great idea!" Serena beamed. "Two Rock type Gym Leaders going head to head…"

"I confess that would be quite intriguing," Clemont said. "As a Gym Leader myself I've often wondered about different ways to improve my own battling strategy. I've learned so much just from watching Ash and Pikachu. I can only imagine what I'd learn from visiting another Electric type gym."

"It would help a lot I can tell you that," Brock replied. "On my journeys with Ash I've gotten to see just how different leaders with the same specialties could be. Personally I learned especially important lessons from watching Ash battle Roxanne and Roark, the two other Rock type leaders I saw him face." Turning to Ash he continued. "I think that would be a great idea."

"Oh boy, I can't wait," exclaimed Bonnie. Her cry of joy was immediately followed by a loud yawn as the effects of a day's travels and hearty food made their presence known.

Brock chuckled. "And with that, I think it's time to turn in."

The five friends all agreed heartily with this. After cleaning up their trays, they headed off to their respective rooms, promising to meet a bit later on in the morning though, at Ash's insistence, not so late that other trainers hadn't already eaten all the good food.

* * *

><p><strong>Apologies for the Google Translated French. If anyone can help out there I'll go back and fix it. And unfortunately (to me as well as you) this is the closest in this fic Brock will get to having a girl of his own. In the end, this is a story about Ash and Serena finding love; to randomly throw Brock together with someone or to mention a girlfriend in passing didn't seem right after all the rejection he's faced.<strong>

**If Ash is out of character here, I acknowledge that he probably isn't quite as clever as I make him out to be here. But considering what he does put his **Pokémon friends through and that there's no real malice behind what he's doing, I personally don't think he's "too nice" to do what I depict him doing here. He is however nice enough to feel conflicted and a bit guilty though, especially when he goes from "theoretical response" to "I think I actually hurt another person's feelings."****

**Considering the fact that Pokémon is dubbed into so many languages I know they'll never really discuss the language issue in the anime. Canon has, in my view, mixed signals on whether or not the country where Pokémon takes place is part of our world or merely of a world like ours. In the English dub French words have been used, notably by Burgundy, and we've run across people with French accents. The explanation we get here of there being a "Northern" and "Southern" Kalos with different languages is sure to be contradicted by canon one day, but at this point it isn't and I thought it added some flavor.  
><strong>

**An adapted quote from the lyrics of one of my favorite Pokémon theme songs is buried in this chapter. It's probably a bit obvious.**


	9. A Unity of Minds

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash would have a Kalos Rival or they'd bring back Paul. _

_Some dialogue and plot elements from this chapter are taken from the anime episode _A Battle By Any Other Name.

_"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind."_ - 1 Peter 3:8

* * *

><p>Breakfast the next morning was a quick affair; everyone was eager to see a great battle between two strong Rock type specialists. Not even the prospect of making the steep climb up the cliffs to the Gym dampened their enthusiasm. Walking into the Gym after having made it all the way up, the group quickly caught sight of Grant chatting with two young trainers. Upon noticing the five friends Grant wrapped his conversation up and, excusing himself, walked over to see his old friends, a questioning look in his eyes.<p>

"Hey guys, didn't expect to see you again so soon! Knowing Ash I would have thought you'd be well on your way to Shalour City by now."

Although everyone chuckled at this it was Ash that responded. "Yeah me too, but plans kinda got changed. See this here," at this he motioned to the one member of the group unfamiliar to Grant, "is my old friend and traveling buddy Brock. After our battle the other day I found out that he was coming to Kalos to study and work at the St. James' Pokémon Hospital in Lumiose City for a few months. But he had some time before he needed to start work so he decided to pay me a visit."

"Ah," Grant said. "Well, nice to meet you Brock." The pair shook hands.

"Likewise," Brock responded, withdrawing his hand. "I've heard a lot about your battling style from Ash. As a Rock type specialist myself, I must say I'm impressed."

"Thanks Brock," Grant replied. "There aren't that many that can appreciate the imposing majesty or fathom the deep mysteries of Rock types."

Brock nodded sagely at this. "Exactly. So, if you don't mind I'd love to test your battling skills first hand."

Ash smiled, putting his hands on Brock shoulders. "Yeah Grant, we'd all love to see a face-off between Rock type Gym Leaders!"

"Oh," said Grant, a smile on his face, "so you're a Gym leader as well?"

Shaking his head, Brock responded. "Not anymore. Like Ash said, I'm studying to be a Pokémon Doctor now, and before that I traveled all over with Ash looking to improve my skills as a Pokémon Breeder. But yeah, before I joined Ash on his journey I was leader at the Pewter City Gym."

"Pewter City, huh? It's got quite the reputation among Rock type Gyms. You must be a Harrison then."

"Guilty as charged," Brock laughed, putting up his hands in mock surrender.

"Well Brock, I'd love to have a battle with you, even if it's an unofficial match. Unfortunately I've already got two challengers waiting and tomorrow's my day off. I don't know if you'll still be around the day after, but I'd be happy to battle you then."

This sent a ripple of disappointment through the group; they had all been anticipating watching a spirited Pokémon battle. Realizing that it wasn't going to happen, at least not today, took some of the wind out of their sails. Only Brock had mixed feelings; while he was looking forward to testing his skills, he hadn't really had time to get to know Carbink as well as he would have liked. A delay would give him more time to train and bond with it; it also would give him the opportunity to get one or two of his Pokémon from Pewter City.

"No worries Grant," Brock said, "that should work out just fine. We'll be here around this time the day after tomorrow."

"Great, I'm looking forward to it! Our battle definitely will have an interesting flavor to it. Now if you'll excuse me," he said, turning back towards the climbing wall and the battlefield, "I have a wall to climb."

After bidding Grant goodbye the group turned and, upon exiting the Gym, proceeded back down the mountain. While going downhill was physically easier for everyone, on the way up they had been propelled by excitement for what the day would bring. Now they seemed weighed down by both disappointment and general listlessness; no one seemed to know where to go next or what to do. As they reached the bottom they turned down a nearby street. After wandering aimlessly for a few minutes they caught sight of a park and, after a brief discussion, decided that this would be an excellent place to stop and plan out how to spend their day.

As Clemont and Brock began to discuss the prospect of having a battle and Bonnie began playing with Dedenne, Serena turned to her backpack and began rummaging through it. Serena's actions piqued Ash's curiosity, driving him to ask what she was looking for.

"Well," Serena responded, lifting out a box, "these _were_ meant to be a treat for all of us after Brock's battle. But they won't keep for two days, so we might as well eat them now."

Even though breakfast was less than an hour ago, Ash, being Ash, was naturally quite excited at the prospect of food. "So what's in there?"

"Ta-da," Serena said, opening the lid to reveal eight brightly colored pastries. She'd baked more than enough for everyone to have one.

"What are they," Ash asked.

"These are traditional Pokémon sweet treats. They're called Poke Puffs," Serena replied.

"Poke Puffs huh," Ash said. He wondered if they were similar to Poffins.

Serena smiled. "Do you want one Pikachu," she asked.

The Electric type's swift hop down from Ash's shoulder was all the answer Serena needed. She lifted two out of the basket, handing one to Fennekin and the other to Pikachu. Both Pokémon took bites and cooed in appreciation at the excellent taste. All the activity drew Bonnie, Clemont, and Brock's attention and they began to walk over.

While glad that Pikachu enjoyed it, Ash had a more pressing question on his mind. "People can eat them too, right?" They sure did look pleasing to the eye. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed one of each of the two kinds Serena had made and shoveled them into his mouth. Serena sighed at this. Although used to Ash's behavior by now, that didn't make it any less disgusting. Yet as soon as they were down his throat, his face took on a weird look.

"Ash, what's the matter," Clemont asked. Although Serena was a good baker, these were Poke Puffs after all…not every variety was meant for human consumption.

Ash looked up, joy on his face. "They're great," he enthused. "That's the yummiest thing I've ever eaten in my life."

Brock just chuckled. He'd heard such praise on multiple occasions so he didn't take the implied slight personally. All it meant was that Serena had done really well.

"Please don't scare me like that," she said, relief evident in her voice.

Before anything else could be said, Dedenne's cries for attention pierced the air. Its grasping arms made clear what it wanted.

"Can Dedenne please have one," Bonnie asked.

Ash reached to hand Bonnie one, but before he could complete the action the telltale blue glow of a Psychic type move surrounded the Poke Puff. It levitated straight up out of Ash's hands and into the air. Turning to follow it, the group saw the Poke Puff go right into the mouth of strange looking pink Pokémon a short distance away. Before they knew what happened, the thing lifted all three remaining Poke Puffs up and devoured them as well.

Hanging his head and sighing in frustration, Ash held up his Pokedex towards the interloper. While seeing a new Pokémon was usually exciting, the disappointing circumstances made him unable to muster up much enthusiasm this time. As the Pokedex entry on Slurpuff finished playing, Ash looked up and caught sight of a girl standing behind the Slurpuff. She had short blue hair and her dark orange eyes glinted in the morning sun. Her blouse and skirt were sky blue while her loose-hanging tie and headband were bright orange. The way her outfit complemented her features was another quintessential example of Kalos' world-renowned fashion sense, not that Ash noticed.

"You see," Miette began, a mixture of sweet charm and condescension swirling in her voice, "Slurpuff thinks your Poke Puff tasted decent enough."

Serena didn't like her tone or her words. "What does that mean," she started. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Miette," she started, "and this is my partner Slurpuff."

The group of people and Pokémon made their introductions. While Serena's tone contained some degree of hostility, the others all introduced themselves politely, not wanting to put off a new acquaintance even if she had been a bit abrupt.

As soon as the last introduction was given, Ash's stomach made its presence known quite loudly.

Miette smiled. _"Ash sure is cute,"_ she thought. _"And now I know the perfect way to get his attention."_ Aloud she said, "Since my Slurpuff ate some of your Poke Puffs, how would you like to try some of the best?"

While the little dig within this offer was upsetting, what irked Serena even more was Bonnie and Ash's immediate and eager acceptance of Miette's offer. She refused and looked away determinedly as Miette distributed Poke Puffs to the rest of the group, ensuring both people and Pokémon got something appropriate. Serena hid a smile though when Ash's greed for food backfired on the blue-haired interloper; his reaction to a particularly spicy Poke Puff reassured her that Ash wouldn't be praising this girl's Poke Puffs as "the yummiest he'd ever tasted."

But when Miette made another condescending remark after that, well she couldn't refrain from responding.

"Hey, I make them like that too," Serena responded angrily.

"Course you can," Miette responded with false sweetness, "that's Poke Puff basics. Poke Puff 101."

"What's with the attitude," Serena shot back, not liking this girl talking down to her. Growling, she stared intensely at Miette. At this the blunette's false cheer broke and she mirrored Serena's actions, shooting a strong glare right back at Serena. The intensity of the situation had the rest of the group sweating with nervousness.

Brock, as the elder of the group, intervened. "Hey you two, let's take it easy," he said, pulling back Serena.

"Yeah," Clemont added, gently gripping Miette and gently moving her away from Serena, "why don't we all just calm down. There's no reason to be mad."

At this the two disentangled themselves from the boys' grips, whirling and putting their backs to one another.

"Why not have a bake-off," chimed Bonnie. This comment caught the attention of the group, so Bonnie elaborated on the upcoming Poke Puff contest. After Miette informed them that this was her whole reason for coming to Cyllage City, Serena confidently accepted Miette's implied challenge, which led to another stare-off. Clemont and Brock again had to step in. After being separated by the boys once more, Miette bid the group a quick farewell, saying she had a few things to get ready before the contest. Watching her retreating form, Serena resolved to win this contest and show Miette just where she could put that attitude.

With Miette gone and things calm again, Ash turned to Brock. "Hey man, you going to enter? I mean, maybe you've never made Poke Puffs but you're great with Pokéblock and Poffins.

"I think I'll pass," shrugged Brock. "Let's give Serena a chance to shine. Besides, I'm pretty sure we don't have enough berries left for two entries."

"He's right about that," supplied Clemont. "We'll have to pick up some more before hit the road again."

As the group began to walk in the direction of the contest, Brock loped his legs extra far to catch up with Serena, who had gotten far out ahead. It didn't take a genius to realize that she was determined to do well. Drawing even with her, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, slow down a bit. The contest isn't going anywhere and Clemont is starting to lag behind."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, slowing her pace a bit. "But I just want to be sure I can register on time. I really want to win this."

"I can tell."

"Thanks for not entering by the way," she said. "I'm glad it'll just be me and her up there."

"And all the other competitors too," Brock quipped. "But seriously, no worries. I think it'd be a great opportunity for you to show your strength, both to yourself and to a certain someone."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I hope so. I was so happy when he said that it was the best thing he ever tasted…but that that girl came along and well…she just made me so mad!"

"Just do your best Serena! I know you have what it takes." His reassuring tone slowed her racing heart.

"Thanks Brock," she said, visibly more calm now. "That means a lot." And it did. Somehow Serena felt quite close to Brock even though it had only been a few days. He was quickly becoming like the older brother she'd never had…it was going to be hard to see him leave.

"Hey guys," called Ash, "wait for the rest of us." It might have been Serena's imagination, but it sounded like there was a hint of concern in his tone.

Nodding to one another, Serena and Brock halted and turned around, waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. After catching up, the group once again was treated to Bonnie chiding Clemont for his slowness. Chuckling at the siblings' antics, the group resumed their walk towards the contest.

* * *

><p><strong>First off, and I am totally remiss in not saying it before, but thanks to all my readers and reviewers. I really appreciate all the feedback! And thanks to Papifly for the French translation help.<br>**

** Brock will indeed battle Grant, it just won't be for a while. I hope it will be worth the wait even though it isn't the main focus of this story. As for what is…this past weekend's episode had the deepest and best Ash-Serena interaction we've seen in a while. Hopefully it's a sign of more to come, though if it isn't, well, that's what this site is for. **

**Canon is ambiguous on whether or not the Poke Puff contest takes place in Cyllage City. There's no direct evidence that I could see one way or the other, although considering Ash's constant rushing around it probably didn't. Even if it did, the timing is off; without Brock's visit there's no way the group would still be in Cyllage City almost a week after the Gym Battle. But it's what works here. **

**Finally I recognize that this chapter is quite short and that about half of it comes straight out of the anime, which is why I've gone ahead and posted two chapters today. To give you a bit of the lay of the land, this story will have 16 chapters and an epilogue, though with the exception of the epilogue the length of those chapters is more akin to what you'll find in the next chapter (4000 words or so) than what you find in this one.  
><strong>


	10. Rejoicing in the truth

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did we'd find out just how these kids fit so much in their backpacks. _

_Some dialogue and plot elements from this chapter are taken from the anime episode _A Battle By Any Other Name

_"Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."_ 1 Corinthians 13:6

* * *

><p>Registering for the contest was a breeze, especially since Serena already had all her own ingredients and cookware. After being assigned a workstation, she bid her friends goodbye and got started setting everything up. The rest of the group meanwhile went off and found a comfortable spot to sit down and watch the competition.<p>

As the contest got going, Brock, and to a lesser extent Clemont, provided a stream of commentary on the techniques of the various competitors, focusing of course on Serena and Miette. While Serena was doing well, it was equally clear that Miette was quite skilled, as were several of the other competitors. Bonnie and Ash asked questions occasionally, but Bonnie was still quite young and Ash was far more interested in how the Poke Puffs would taste than in the details of how they were prepared. Still, even a novice like him could see that Serena was definitely in her element.

As time wound down, Brock couldn't contain it any longer. It was either go now or risk missing the end of the competition. Getting up, he turned to his friends. "Hey guys, I've got to go find a restroom. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that he took off at lightning speed in what he hoped was the direction of the nearest toilet. Clemont took over the commentary on the contest and, before long, time had elapsed, with Brock still nowhere to be seen.

The emcee, having previously announced that time was up, now began directing the competitors on the logistics of submitting their entries and cleaning their workstations. Serena submitted hers and returned to her friends, Fennekin in tow. Much to her annoyance, Miette was right behind and chose to sit near her friends, almost as if she were one of them.

After a few minutes the last competitor had taken their seat and the emcee was back on the stage, this time introducing their celebrity judge for the day: a talented Poke Puff pâtissier named Gina. An attractive twenty-something woman in traditional chef's garb took the stage and began to make some perfunctory remarks.

As Gina was wrapping up her introduction, with a start Clemont noticed that Bonnie was missing. Glancing around hurriedly, he quickly spotted her…somehow she had made her way to the stage and was even now approaching Gina. _"Please let her be doing _anything_ but what I think she's doing,"_ Clemont thought desperately. Yet experience had taught him that he was probably hoping in vain.

"Gina excuse me," Bonnie said, tugging on the judge's sleeve.

"Oh," Gina cried, turning down and looking at the young girl at her side.

"I need you to take care of my brother!" Bonnie beamed, on one knee in the manner that deliberately mirrored the marriage proposals she'd seen on television.

With shocking speed Clemont dashed up to this stage, screaming at Bonnie to stop embarrassing him. Extending the Aipom arm, he grabbed her with it and then dashed off madly, clearly eager to get as far away from another humiliating scene as quickly as possible.

As the tension of the situation faded into nervous laughter, Miette got up from her seat walked over. Taking the now vacant seat right next to Ash, she fixed her gaze at him quite deliberately. "Take care of her brother, huh," she mused aloud. "So Ash, do _you_ already have someone to take care of you?"

Had he not spoken with Brock about romance and watching, the question would have gone right over Ash's head. Since that talk however he'd been on high alert to romance-related stuff in general and had been watching Serena in particular. Still, it took a few seconds for his mind, which normally didn't think along these lines, to realize precisely what Miette was getting at. Startled at this line of questioning, he shifted his glance to Serena. To his surprise, she was looking not at him, but at Miette. Even more shocking to Ash was the expression on her face. It was an expression he'd never really seen on her face before: intense anger. With another start, Ash realized that this wasn't quite true; he had seen that expression on her face once before…when he had been reminiscing about May. Suddenly it hit him like a Brick Break…Brock had been right. The thought sent his heart racing.

Turning back from Serena to Miette, he suddenly realized that she was waiting for some sort of response. "Uh," stuttered, "what are you talking about?" Smiling inwardly, he congratulated himself on somehow managing to choke out what he hoped was an acceptable response. Miette just smiled at him shyly and then turned her attention back to the stage. Relieved that she didn't press the point, he did the same.

Clemont and Bonnie returned from wherever they had dashed off to a few moments later. As Gina began evaluating the various entries, Ash felt his nervousness build. He tried to tell himself that it was due to the contest, but even as he repeated this to himself Ash knew the words rang hollow. Before long Gina was done with her judging and was back up at the microphone announcing the finalists. Ash's suspicion that his anxiety didn't really have much to do with the contest results was confirmed when, as Serena's name was finally called, his nervousness remained. As Serena strode up to the stage, Brock finally reappeared.

Noticing Brock approaching, Ash quickly got up and met him before he could sit down; he didn't want Bonnie or Clemont to overhear the conversation he was about to have.

Not realizing anything was off, Brock inquired about the results. "So I'm guessing Serena and Miette both made it," he said, motioning to the two girls standing on stage.

Nodding swiftly, Ash responded, "Yeah, but forget about all that! There's something much more important going on!" Panic and agitation were evident in Ash's voice. "Come on," he said, tugging Brock with one arm and scooping Pikachu off the ground with the other, "we need to talk right now!"

As Serena stood on stage and Gina explained the rules for Round Two, she felt a confusing jumble of emotions coursing through her. For one, she was happy that she'd managed to make it to the finals. She was also gratified that she'd managed prove herself to be every bit as good as Miette. Yet she was upset and angry as well. Even though she'd been only one of three contestants to make it this far, Miette's criticism still stung. Serena freely admitted that she had a lot to learn about a lot of things, especially training Pokémon. But baking was something that she was sure she was good at; who did Miette think she was, so casually dismissing Serena's skills without any evidence to back it up?

As if all this wasn't bad enough, Miette had made it clear that their rivalry went way beyond just baking…she was out for Ash as well. That really boiled her blood_. "Ash and I go way back. She barely even knows him. What makes Miette think that he would ever prefer her to me?"_ Yet even in her own mind she could clearly feel that the root of this confident bluster was uncertainty and fear.

Gina's concluding remarks drew Serena back to reality. Shaking her head, she walked down from the stage and back towards where she had left her friends. As she approached she noticed that Ash and Brock were nowhere to be seen.

"Congratulations Serena," Clemont said.

"Yeah, you did super awesome," Bonnie exclaimed, joy on her face.

At the sight of her two friends' smiles Serena felt somewhat better. _"But I'd feel much better if Ash was here to congratulate me."_ Aloud she said, "So where are Ash and Brock?"

"I'm not quite clear," Clemont said. "Brock was just coming back from the restroom when Ash got up and dashed over to him. After a brief word Ash dragged Brock off in that direction," Clemont indicated with his finger. "He looked a bit agitated."

"Really," Serena said, concern evident in her voice, "I hope nothing is wrong. Maybe we should try to go find them."

Clemont shook his head and the adjusted his glasses. "We should let Brock handle this. If it was something Ash wanted everyone to know about he wouldn't have gone off with Brock alone."

"I guess you're right," Serena said resignedly, "but I just wish there was something we could do."

"We don't even know if something is wrong," Clemont responded. "For all we know Ash was hungry and asked Brock to go with him to get something to eat." At this everyone smiled; it wouldn't be the first time Ash ran off from the group in search of food. "But if there is something wrong and we can do something, you can bet Ash will let us know."

"Clemont's right Serena," Bonnie said, a cheerful expression on her face. "We're all super good friends. And friends help each other out. So don't worry about anything!"

"So have you decided what kind of recipe you're going to use tomorrow," Clemont asked, changing the subject. "It has to be new and original."

"Well, I was thinking about that," Serena said, "and I have a few ideas. But we're going to need to find some berries. You were right, I used the last of ours for today's contest."

"Sounds good to me. Soon as Ash and Brock get back we can go shopping. You get some ingredients for tomorrow and I'll pick up some stuff for when we get back on the road."

Serena nodded at the wisdom of this. "Sounds good Clemont."

"So, _please_ tell us how it went," Bonnie implored. "We were watching super close of course, but I want to hear how you were feeling Serena."

At this Serena began to describe the contest through her own eyes, though even as she described it all, at the back of her mind she was still wondering just where Ash was.

* * *

><p>As Serena was finally rejoining her two friends, Ash and Brock finally came to an isolated corner of the park. After double checking that no one else was around, Ash turned to face Brock, worry and even a hint of panic evident on his face.<p>

"So," Brock started nonchalantly, "what's up Ash?"

"What's up? What's up?! You were right is what's up!"

Pikachu hung his head dejectedly, embarrassed at his trainer's antics. Brock however chuckled and said, "Glad to hear it Ash. But I'm right about a lot of things…"

Ash growled. "This is no time for games! You know what I'm talking about!" Ash flailed his arms about wildly, trying to convey to his friend just how upset he was.

"Do I," Brock said, a hint of playfulness in his questioning tone. "I'm not sure that I understand. I think you'll need to spell it out." Brock was having the time of his life teasing Ash about his denseness. After all the pulled ears he'd received and jokes he'd been the butt of over the years, well, he was going to milk this moment for all it was worth.

Grabbing Brock's shoulders and shaking them, he exclaimed, "Serena, that's what! She likes me!"

Smiling and shaking his head, Brock gently removed Ash's arms from his shoulders, placing them back at Ash's side. "I see. What exactly brought about this sudden revelation?"

"It's…never mind, that's not important. What's important is she likes me! What am I going to do?"

"Ash, calm down. Relax. This is nothing to be worried about; in fact, it's perfectly natural." Smiling and wiping a fake tear from his eye, Brock continued, "I'm so proud that my boy is growing up."

Ash responded with a playful punch. Laughing, Brock continued. "But seriously Ash, you'd think the world was coming to an end with the way you are reacting."

"You're right," Ash said ruefully, scratching the back of his head. He was kind of overdoing it. "But what should I do?"

"Well Ash, that depends on whether you feel the same way about her or not. If you do, then you should ask her on a date. If you don't, well, then let her down gently."

Ash looked at Brock, more confused than ever. "Uh, what if I'm not sure?"

At this Brock mentally facepalmed. "How can you be 'not sure?' Either you like her or you don't." _"Or maybe not," _Brock thought._ This _is_ Ash after all."_

Ash sighed. "I've never really given love much thought Brock. I mean, other than mom, Pokémon have always been the most important thing to me. Isn't that right buddy," Ash said, giving Pikachu a scratch on the head. At first Pikachu leaned in, enjoying the sensation. But he quickly backed away and scampered over to Brock.

"Pika!" Pikachu thundered, pointing one paw at his trainer. Pikachu didn't know much about "romance" but he did know when his trainer was being silly and this was one of those times. He then climbed up Brock, coming to a rest on Brock's shoulder.

"What was that for Pikachu," Ash asked, startled at his Pokémon's behavior.

"I think Pikachu's saying that it's time for you to grow up Ash. You're not ten years old anymore Ash." At this Pikachu nodded sagely.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Ash said sheepishly.

Getting back to the topic, Brock asked, "So you're telling me that even after I told you Serena likes you, you didn't once think about your feelings?"

Ash chuckled nervously. "Yeah well, the thing is I didn't really take what you said that seriously. After all, you've hardly had a good track record when it comes to girls. I've seen you get rejected so many times I've lost count, and your 'love advice' usually backfires. So, while I watched her like you said, I never really thought you could be right about her liking me."

"And now?" Brock stared intently at the young trainer from Pallet.

"And now…I don't know Brock. What does love even feel like?"

"Well Ash, I've been 'in love' more times than I can count. No two experiences were exactly alike. So Ash, instead of me telling you how love feels, why don't you tell me how Serena makes you feel."

"I guess that makes sense," Ash said. "Well, she makes me feel special. You know, like I'm someone that really matters. She's always paying attention to me, asking me for opinions or advice. And I can tell she really cares about other people. Whenever I see her taking care of Fennekin or helping out Bonnie, it makes me feel really happy, proud even."

"I see Ash. Go on."

"She's so new to this journeying thing…sometimes I just want to stand in front of her and protect her from getting hurt. But then there's times that I want to do all I can to help her get stronger." At this Ash paused. "Man, feelings are confusing," he moaned.

"They sure are. But love is powerful Ash. You know that better than most people; the way you care about your Pokémon, how you strive to really get to know them and understand them…that's a form of love."

"Really? That's love huh?" Ash was surprised at this, but as he thought about it, it sounded right.

"Of course romantic love is different. For one thing, it's more intense but less stable. You can be soaring in the heavens one minute and plummeting back to Earth the next."

"So do I love Serena," Ash asked, his tone hopeful. If anyone could answer that question Brock could.

"Based on what you've said so far, I'm honestly not sure."

This time it was Ash that facepalmed. "After all that you still can't tell?"

"Well I can tell you care about her that's for sure. But whether that's love…it's not clear." Brock said, collecting his thoughts. "Alright, why don't you tell me exactly how you realized I was telling the truth about her liking you. That might help me a bit."

"Kay. Well, Bonnie went up to the lady who is judging the contest and asked her to 'take care' of Clemont. As usual, Clemont got all embarrassed and dragged Bonnie away with his robot arm. After that Miette looked at me funny and then asked if I had anyone to take care of me. It took me a few seconds to realize what she was asking."

"What does this have to do with Serena," Brock asked, curious.

"Well, I looked at Serena right after Miette said this and I could tell she was real upset, like how she was getting when I kept mentioning May the other night, only much worse."

"So that _was_ intentional on your part! I'm impressed, I didn't think you were that subtle."

"Yeah well, like you said, it's like Pokémon battling. You got to try out different attacks and see how they work on your opponents. That one was definitely super effective. Though I do feel bad about getting her upset…"

Shaking his head in bemusement at Ash's metaphor, Brock nevertheless had to admit that it made sense. "Alright, so you picked up how these two girls feel about you. Now how did you react when it all finally hit you?"

"Uh well, Miette seems okay I guess…though she has been a bit mean to Serena. I don't really like that at all. But, I don't really know her and she doesn't really know me. How could I love her?"

"And Serena? When you realized that I was right about her?"

"Uh," said Ash, scratching the back his head and looking off into the distance, "I felt really nervous all the sudden. I can't explain it. I don't remember ever feeling that nervous. I was somehow worried I'd say or do the wrong thing, you know?"

Brock stroked his chin thoughtfully. Finally they were getting somewhere. "Okay Ash, I have one last question. But I need you to do something. I need you to stare straight at me while I ask you."

"Uh, okay Brock, whatever you say." Though he was confused, he trusted Brock and did as his friend requested.

"Okay Ash…" Brock hated to bring this up, but it was for a good cause. Staring intently at Ash, he said, "How would you feel if I told you Serena likes Clemont too? "

"What?! No way!" Ash shouted at the top of his lungs. Pausing for a second, he continued. "Are you serious?" While shock was clearly Ash's dominant emotion, Brock could detect some disappointment and hurt in Ash's voice.

"Whoa, slow down man. I didn't say she did, I said 'what if.'"

"Really?" Ash's mind and heart, which had gone into overdrive with Brock's question, were now slowing down, though he was still far from calm. "So, then why even bring it up if it isn't true?"

"Two reasons. One, I wanted to see how you'd react. After all, jealousy is a sign of actually loving someone."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, we already covered that."

Brock nodded. "True. I also bring it up because it could happen. You see, I have a bit of a confession to make. I actually knew for a fact she liked you; we've actually discussed it over the past few days. From those conversations I can tell you that she's worried that you don't like her that way, or even that you don't think romance is important. She's been throwing a lot of obvious hints your way ever since you started traveling together and you've missed them all. Ash, girls won't wait around forever. If it's not Clemont it could be someone else. And it's happened to you at least once before."

"What do you mean it's happened before?" At this Ash was both shocked and curious.

Brock sighed. He hadn't meant to bring _that_ up, it had just slipped out. But maybe it was for the best that it had. "I'm not going to mention any names, but there's two girls that come to mind. One I know for a fact liked you a lot, but you never gave her any indication you liked her back, so eventually she gave up. The other...if she didn't like you, I think she would have if you showed some interest. Look Ash, I don't want you to focus on the past and I don't want to rush you into making a decision that you're not ready to make either. I'm just saying there are consequences."

For Ash, the shock was fading, replaced by a feeling of loss. Who were these girls? Had he hurt them badly? Was he bound to hurt Serena too? _"Knowing how bad I am at this whole thing, probably."_

"Well Brock," he said reluctantly, voice cracking "Bonnie's been searching for someone to take care of Clemont and Serena's looking for a boyfriend…maybe that would be for the best. After all, if I can't even tell if a girl likes me what kind of boyfriend would I make? According to you I've failed at least one girl, if not more, in the past. Maybe I should just forget the whole thing."

"Just like that you're giving up?" Brock was visibly upset. "Where's the Ash Ketchum that I know, the one that's faced League after League and still hasn't given up his quest to be a Pokémon Master?

"He's realizing that being in love is a lot more complicated and more difficult than becoming a Pokémon Master."

"Ash, you've grown so much as a trainer since we first met…but only because you decided to go on a journey and never give up. It's the same here man…there's only one way to gain experience."

"You're right Brock," Ash sighed reluctantly. "Not being experienced is no reason to give up."

"So Ash, after all that, how do you feel about Serena?"

At this question Ash grew very quiet. This was, of course, the key question. "Well, I know that the past few minutes it feels like feelings have been riding a roller coaster. When I realized what you said was true, I got really happy all the sudden…but I also then got really nervous. Talking about with you made me calm again, but then there was the thing about Clemont and it was like I was going down all over again. It kind of reminds me what you said before about romance…how you're flying in the sky at one moment and crashing into the ground the next."

Brock smiled. It seemed like Ash was finally putting the pieces together. "So," he continued, "what do you think _that_ means?"

"I guess," he paused, hesitating to say it. Taking a deep breath, he resumed. "I guess maybe I do like her after all."

"Good," Brock said, "now go tell her how you feel."

"What?!" If possible, Ash's exclamation this time was louder than the last. "I said 'I guess' alright Brock? There's still a lot I need to figure out. You've thrown a lot at me at once. I kinda need some time to think everything over."

Brock nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have put a lot on your plate at once, and for that I apologize. But you needed to hear it Ash…all of it." Pausing for a moment to let his words sink in, Brock continued. "So what are you going to do now?"

Ash chuckled nervously. "No idea! But no need to worry Brock, I'll figure something out." He paused for a second. "So, let's go find the others, they're probably worried that we got lost or something."

Brock nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we should get back. But," at this Brock pointed a finger at Ash "don't think you're getting out of it that easy. This conversation isn't over."

"'Course not Brock," Ash chuckled. "You got me into this so I'm not letting you off the hook that easy."

"Fine by me, just make sure you make me Best Man when you two get married."

"Whoa Brock, I haven't figured out I feel for sure and you're already talking marriage. Bonnie's been a bad influence I see."

They both laughed at this. After Brock returned Pikachu to Ash, they both began to walk back to the stage area, eager to find their friends. After a minute of walking they were back at the stage area. Spotting them, Serena dashed over, Bonnie and Clemont in tow.

"There you two are," Serena said, relief evident. "I was about to call you Brock. I…that is, we were worried."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Brock said. "So, if I heard correctly congratulations are in order."

"Yeah Serena, great job," said Ash, pumping his fist. "You'll win this no doubt!"

Heartened by Ash's encouragement, she smiled, pink coloring her cheeks. "Aww…thanks you guys." She paused, smoothing her skirt. "But now we have to get shopping. I need some more berries for tomorrow."

"Sure thing Serena," Brock said. "Lead the way."

"Okay!" She turned to go, and then stopped. Turning around, she looked at Ash and Brock. "By the way, where did you guys run off to in such a hurry? I was worried something had happened."

Both of them chuckled nervously. As Ash said "bathroom" Brock responded "food."

"Huh," Serena replied. "So which is it?"

"Well, Ash really had to go to the bathroom and I promised I would make sure he didn't get lost; it's a bit hard to find, that's why it took me so long to come back earlier. Plus, I was a bit hungry after watching the contest so I decided to grab a snack." The hurried nature of Brock's reply made Serena a bit suspicious, but she shrugged this off as paranoia.

Inwardly Ash was relieved at Brock's quick thinking. Aloud he said, "Yeah, when you gotta go you gotta go." Everyone chuckled at this.

"Well what are we waiting for," asked Bonnie, clearly impatient, "let's get going!"

At this the group headed off in the direction of Cyllage City's market district, with Serena and Bonnie, who had spent a good deal of time there in the days before Brock's arrival, leading the way. As they arrived, Serena insisted that they split up.

"There's a lot of different stalls, each with their own kinds of berries. I'm still not sure exactly what I want to make yet, so let's get a bit of everything."

Unfortunately, their plans for a shopping spree quickly went awry, as best laid plans often do. Meeting up somewhere near the center of the market after about ten minutes of fruitless effort, everyone had the same bad news to share: none of the stalls seemed to have any berries left. When Miette stumbled across the group a few moments later, she also reported running into the same difficulty. What's more, it wasn't limited to this open-air market; everywhere in town seemed to be sold out of berries.

While Ash and Brock quickly voiced their suspicions about the timing of this sudden scarcity, they had to concede that these suspicions did little to actually help solve their predicament. The group quickly decided that there was only one practical option: gathering berries from the forest. Much to Serena's annoyance, Miette decided to tag along, as if her traveling with them was the most natural thing in the world.

* * *

><p><strong>So this was a big chapter. I'll admit that striking the right balance was really hard to do and I made a number of rewrites. I originally considered having Brock actually lie (temporarily) to Ash and say Serena had started to like Clemont too just to provoke a jealous reaction, but as I thought about it more it was just too out of character and I wasn't happy with it. However Ash did need something extreme to bring him to realize his feelings. His misunderstanding of Brock's comment (plausible given the emotional tension of the moment) plus Brock's allusion to his previous missed opportunities got Ash where I needed him to be, letting angsty Ash, whom we've only seen rarely in the anime, make a brief appearance. It'll take Ash a bit to sort through everything but he's finally on the right path.<strong>

**As for his missed opportunities, Brock's alluding to Misty and May. The more I think about AdvanceShipping, the more I am forced to swallow the bitter pill that, to some extent, Ash let May slip through his fingers. (spoilers for anime coming) It's confusing, towards the end of Hoenn and throughout the Battle Frontier we get some of the most intense Advance and ContestShipping moments, sometimes even in close proximity. Had Ash pursued May early (not that that would have ever happened) he would have gotten her no problem. His lack of action allowed Drew to come in and begin to win her over, especially when he started acting nice to her. In canon we're left ambiguous as to where May's heart ends up or whether Misty actually moves on, but in this fic at least the latter has found and the former never gave a clear sign of wanting Ash.**

**If there are any Miette fans out there, you probably won't like what is here or what is coming. Nothing I can do about that. I am not trying to bash her, I just think that the reactions of all the characters in this chapter and over the next few chapters are true to character. And, as you'll see, I'll be gradually building up to the détente Miette and Serena end up reaching at the end of the contest, allowing me to paint Miette in a less negative light.**


	11. Sick With Love

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash would include at least one or two of his old Pokémon in his team besides just Pikachu. I mean, some of them have real character and/or are just plain good Pokémon.  
><em>

_Some dialogue and plot elements from this chapter are taken from the anime episode _A Battle By Any Other Name.

_"I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love."_ -Song of Solomon 5:8

* * *

><p>As they walked through the forest outside of Cyllage City on their search for berries, a silent tension hung over the group. Miette and Serena were trading angry glares back and forth. Ash was completely wrapped up in considering his own predicament, trying to come toward some sort of conclusion. Brock and Clemont were shuffling along silently, having tried and failed to get a conversation going in the midst of such obvious discomfort. Even Bonnie was uncharacteristically withdrawn.<p>

After a few minutes of wandering, the group stumbled upon a scene that brought them up short. Gasps of shock shattered the silence, for there before them was a grove of fruits trees, trees which at this time of year should be bursting with berries. Instead of offering nature's bounty however these trees presented branches bereft of all but a handful of leaves. Such an unnatural sight drew everyone's attention away from their comparatively small concerns, uniting their hearts in a shared feeling of indignation.

"I don't see any," Ash ventured, clearly surprised at the sight before them.

"But how can that be," asked Serena, letting the rhetorical question hang in the air. There were all sorts of berries in season and this part of Kalos was known for its particularly prolific fruit trees.

Clemont bent to ground to more closely examine the scene. "This wasn't from natural causes," he said. "Someone's sabotaging the contest."

"Who would do such a bad thing," Bonnie asked, anger clear in her voice.

"I wonder," Ash mused. This was just the sort of thing that those troublemakers would do.

"Whoever's responsible did a pretty thorough job," Brock commented. "There's nothing left."

Serena clenched her fist. Miette's presence had already heightened Serena's determination to win, driving her to the point where she couldn't really think of anything else. _"And now this,"_ she seethed. Anger flaring, Serena resolved that she was going to do whatever it took to place first. In an uncharacteristic display of boldness she announced her intention to go deeper into the woods. Before anyone could respond she ran off, Fennekin right behind.

Needless to say the sudden pronouncement stunned the group. Ash and the others could only stare at Serena and Fennekin's retreating forms as the two partners disappeared into the trees.

"Being frantic isn't going to help," observed Miette as she walked up to Ash.

"I guess," said Ash, reluctant to agree both because it was a criticism of Serena and because it was charging into the unknown was exactly the sort of thing he usually did. Instead he asked Miette whether she had any ideas of her own.

She smiled and explained that Slurpuff possess a particularly keen sense of smell that they often used to sniff out sweets. When Brock chimed in that such a trait could prove quite useful, everyone agreed that following the Meringue Pokémon's lead was an excellent idea. That is until Serena's scream pierced the sylvan air.

Not even hesitating for a second, Ash ran headlong into the forest in the direction of Serena's cry of distress, running as fast as he possibly could, driven by an intense desire to reach Serena and do whatever he had to do to make her safe. The rest of the group quickly followed, with Clemont lagging behind the rest. After a brief sprint through the trees they came upon a clearing. Serena was on the ground, back pressed against a tree while Fennekin was caught in a morass of white stick web. The two were completely surrounded by a group of angry-looking white puffy Pokémon.

Taking stock of the scene, Ash quickly called upon his number one partner, pushing aside his concern for Serena to focus on the task at hand. Pikachu's Thunderbolt pierced the air, engulfing the white Pokémon completely and sending them hurtling away. Fennekin shook itself loose of its confinement and ran over to Serena, Ash right behind.

Ash knelt down and checked to make sure Serena was alright. Fortunately she was, something that made him heave a huge sigh of relief. He offered Serena his hand to her and, after helping her stand back up, let it go and turned his gaze upon her attackers, who had regrouped and now were hovering just above them. Ash lifted his Pokedex and activated it, hoping to find some clue as to how to combat these obviously hostile Pokémon. As the entry on the "Swirlix" played, Bonnie could not help but admire their cuteness, edging closer to them. Alarmed at this, Clemont moved to restrain his sister's enthusiasm, warning her they were obviously upset.

"Clemont's right Bonnie," Brock cautioned. "Appearances can be deceiving. The cutest looking Pokémon can have the meanest tempers and the scariest looking ones can be the sweetest and nicest you'll ever meet."

As the Swirlix moved closer, ready to renew the attack, Serena stood, determined to fight them off. She had failed miserably before…now was the chance to show that she could be strong. "How dare you suddenly attack us like that," she shouted angrily. "Fennekin, use Flamethrower." Responding to her trainer's command, Fennekin let loose a powerful blast of fire. Like Serena, she too wanted to show that she had the strength to battle.

While Fennekin's flame did not make contact with any of the Swirlix, it was powerful enough to convince them that hanging around wasn't worth it. Turning, the group of Fairy type Pokémon retreated back into the forest.

If Ash, Brock, and the others thought the conflict between Miette and Serena would subside after facing real danger together, they were sorely mistaken. Serena immediately blamed Swirlix for eating all the berries. Miette was quick to disagree, hypothesizing that, rather than the Swirlix being the cause of the devastation, they had instead attacked in anger over it. She then indicated that Slurpuff had caught the scent of berries and convinced the group to head off in that direction. Serena huffed internally at Miette taking the lead but, as the others seemed content to follow her, said nothing.

After a few minutes of walking the group ran into a cliff wall. This obstacle would have been intimidating and even insurmountable obstacle for humans traveling on their own. For trainers with a variety of Pokémon partners, scaling it was a piece of cake. Working together, the group quickly made it to the top, where they found themselves in the midst of a grove of berry trees abounding with fruit. Ash wasted no time in sampling a few raw berries, much to the chagrin of both Miette and Serena.

Suddenly a rustling in the trees ahead caught their attention. Looking up, the group saw a group of Swirlix headed straight for them. While Serena expressed her frustration at seeing these particular Pokémon again, Clemont and Brock once again voiced their suspicions…suspicions that were quickly validated by the sudden appearance of a robotic arm emerging from the trees, snapping branches as it went. With a great rumble the trees in front of the group of trainers collapsed, revealing a massive Octillery robot.

"You," Ash screamed, recognition evident. For standing atop the robot were none other than the trio of Jesse, James, and Meowth…the very individuals he'd suspected of being behind this.

After the group of villains recited infamous motto, Brock broke the silence.

"I don't believe it. These clowns are still following you Ash?" Brock was flabbergasted, although he couldn't really say he was surprised.

"Who you calling clowns bub," Meowth shot back.

"Well well," smirked Jessie, "if it isn't the big twerp back again after all this time. Miss us?"

"Who's that," Miette asked, obviously confused.

"Team Rocket," Ash stated, anger clear. Nothing else needed to be said.

Things of course began to unfold as was typical in situations like this. The robot's arms quickly vacuumed up not only Pikachu, but the Swirlix as well. As the robot continued its intense suction, Ash was at a loss for what to do. Once again he'd allowed Team Rocket to get their hands on Pikachu. While in some senses he was used to it by now, every time this happened he still couldn't help but worry that maybe, just maybe, this would be the time that he'd finally lose Pikachu forever. The thought made him all the more determined to get his partner back and send Team Rocket blasting off again.

Serena didn't have any more idea on how to stop this crazy robot than Ash did. But she knew who might. As Serena gripped Fennekin tightly to prevent her from being caught in the vacuum's intense pull, she turned to her inventor friend. "Hey Clemont, does their machine have any weak spots?

"Weak spot, let's see," he started to ponder as he gripped his sister.

"Hurry up," Bonnie implored, hugging her brother tightly in an embrace that in less dangerous circumstances would have been quite endearing.

"Okay," he responded, "first off, it's a giant vacuum. It has to suck in air in order to function…I've got it! Seal their suction tube. That will definitely stop the air flow."

Ash, overhearing this conversation, nodded resolutely.

"Ash let me," started Brock, about to suggest that, as the physically largest member of the group, he should be the one to give it a shot. Of course, as usual, Ash was heedless of anything but solving the problem himself as quickly as possible.

"No Brock, I'm going" and with that he dashed headlong towards the giant robot.

As he approached the vacuum, he screamed, "You can't stop me." As he said this he flung himself straight at the vacuum arm, covering it with his body. The metallic appendage went up into the air, flailing about in a effort to dislodge the young trainer. The force of the vacuum's pull however ensured he stayed lodged in place, completely covering its intake.

Brock just shook his head. "I guess our talk the other day about risk taking didn't really accomplish anything at all."

Ash's heroics grabbed the attention of not just Brock, but of the entire group. Serena, having seen how far Ash would go, couldn't help but express concern. Miette, who to this point had admired Ash for his cute looks and easy-going manner, was awed at seeing a side to him she never could have imagined. Clemont, also having witnessed Ash get through much worse, merely shouted a perfunctory reminder to be careful; Bonnie shouted encouragement, confident that the kid who's saved Garchomp would have no problem with this.

After a few moments, Clemont's prediction came true. The vacuum stalled out, allowing the Pokémon caught inside to have a moment's respite. Unfortunately, the respite proved to be brief; an explosion from deep within the bowels of the robot's interior rattled its whole body. Clemont, shouting that now was the time to strike, jarred Serena into action. She quickly called out another Flamethrower attack. Unlike before with the Swirlix, this time Fennekin's aim was true; the stream of fire hit the robot dead on, causing a massive electric short.

On top of the massive mechanized Octillery, Jesse, James, and Meowth were beginning to panic. Another blast-off seemed imminent. Although it was entirely contrary to their Pokémon-stealing goals, Meowth realized there was only one thing that might salvage the situation. Throwing a lever, he blew the robot's exhaust, which not only sent Ash hurtling through the air, but it expelled everything the vacuum had sucked up, Pokémon included.

Ash caught Pikachu while the Swirlix were able to halt their own descent in mid-air. After shaking themselves off, Ash and the Pokémon turned their attention back to Team Rocket. Ash didn't hesitate to renew the attack, calling upon Swirlix to take the lead. The Swirlix, happy for the opportunity to strike at those that had so callously ruined their home, hurtled themselves straight at Team Rocket. While the trio of thieves did try to use the robot's arms to bat away the Swirlix, they proved too swift and, before long, they had coated much of the artificial Octillery's body with sticky string.

Serena and Miette meanwhile ran forward along with their Pokémon partners. Drawing even with Ash, all three watched the Swirlix for a moment before having their Pokémon launch attacks. Energy Ball, Flamethrower, and Thunderbolt all struck the robot simultaneously. Their combined power destroyed what was left of the faux Octillery, sending Team Rocket hurtling into the sky once more.

At this the group let loose a cheer, happy to have brought an end to another of Team Rocket's schemes. As the Swirlix drifted off back into the forest, Ash turned and faced his friends.

"Well now that that's over, let's go get some berries." Nodding at Miette, Serena, and their Pokémon, he continued, "And thanks for the help you guys!"

"No problem," the two girls replied simultaneously, looking at Ash and smiling. They then turned to face one another and glared in anger.

Ash gulped nervously at this. Their whole conflict made him uncomfortable. Trying to sort out his own emotions and what to do about them was intimidating enough; having to deal with a conflict that was, in part, over him on top of it was just too much to handle. Hopefully if he ignored it and let Brock and Clemont keep the peace everything would be fine.

Observing both the renewed tension between the girls and Ash's discomfort with it, Brock realized that, for once, someone would have to come charging to Ash's rescue. "Hey Ash," he called across the clearing, "Why don't you help Clemont and I gather some berries? After all, you guys are out and I'm sure you remember how important having the right berries hand can be."

Ash nodded vigorously. "Yeah, sure thing Brock." Turning to the girls, he continued. "We won't go too far, just give a shout if you need us." With that he beat a hasty retreat towards Clemont and Brock.

Bonnie meanwhile moved in the opposite direction, away from Clemont and towards Serena, volunteering to help her female friend. Serena gladly accepted; she could use the company. Shooting Miette one last glare, Serena gripped Bonnie's hand and the two walked into the grove of trees. Huffing, Miette also headed into the forest, albeit in a different direction.

Instead of following the girls into the woods, the boys decided to gather berries right at the edge of the tree line. Brock and Clemont quickly struck up a conversation about the medicinal properties of various berries. While Clemont did have some knowledge in this area, it paled in comparison to both Brock's medical studies and the practical experience he had picked up on his travels, making him eager to soak in everything Brock had to say.

Ash however was in a pensive mood and contributed little to the conversation. Instead his thoughts swirled around Serena. _"Do I love her?"_ The clashes with the Swirlix and then Team Rocket had evoked in Ash a deep concern for Serena's safety and a strong desire to protect her. He'd also felt pride and happiness watching her succeed at helping get rid of Team Rocket. But he'd had feelings of pride and protectiveness for previous traveling companions. So was what he felt about Serena the same as those feelings or was it something more?

"_This stuff is really confusing. Things were much easier before all this came up."_ But as inexperienced and confused as he was, there was one thing of which he was certain: there was no going back to the way things were before. He'd have to figure this out and deal with it.

"Ash," a voice said, interrupting his musings. Looked up, he realized that it was Clemont that had spoken.

"What's up Clemont?"

"Can you see if you can find some Petaya berries? I don't see any around here, but there might be some a bit deeper in the forest."

Ash nodded. "Sure thing," he replied, relieved to have something practical to distract him from his inner turmoil.

Turning to his number one partner, Ash said "Come on Pikachu, let's go find some berries."

Pikachu responded in the affirmative and the two left the clearing behind. After a few minutes of searching they found what they were looking for: a tree of Petaya berries. Unfortunately it was quite a tall tree, meaning the berries would be a bit difficult to retrieve. In similar situations in the past he'd had Pikachu shock berries from trees. Clemont might want them to cook, but then again he might want them to heal as well. Not knowing what effect electricity would have on this particular berry's healing properties, he decided to call out Fletchling.

Before he could call out his Flying type partner, the snap of a twig jolted Ash's focus from the berry tree back towards the trees. Turning his gaze in the direction of the sound, he saw Miette and Slurpuff emerge from the undergrowth. Upon seeing Ash, her face brightened into a broad smile.

"Hey Ash," she said sweetly, "nice to see you here. I hope nothing is wrong."

Ash gulped. He hadn't counted on encountering either girl during his foray into the forest. In hindsight that seemed a foolish assumption; after the day's events neither one of them were likely to stray too far from the group. "Uh, nope, Clemont just wanted some help finding some Petaya berries. There weren't any near where we were so he asked me to go look."

"Slurpuff and I would be happy to help you Ash," Miette responded with a smile.

Although he was sure that he and Fletchling could handle it, he knew it would be impolite to refuse. Instead he uttered his thanks.

Miette turned to her Pokémon. "Okay Slurpuff, you know what to do."

Acknowledging its trainer's command, Slurpuff began to concentrate. A number of berries started to give off a blue glow and began floating down, landing softly on the ground. Taking the bag Clemont had handed him when they had first started gathering, Ash began to collect the fallen berries. Miette squatted down to help, an action that made Ash realize just how short Miette's skirt was. Banishing such thoughts from his mind and fixing his gaze squarely on the ground, he moved to continue gathering the fruit. A few seconds later though a slight cough caught his attention. Turning back, he saw Miette kneeling in front of him, gazing expectedly.

"Uh…yes?" Ash stammered.

Smiling at Ash's obvious nervousness, she motioned with her hands. "Can you open your bag so I can put these in."

"Oh, right" he replied, relief coursing through his body. He placed the few fruits in his hands into the bag and then, hands free, pulled the bag's mouth open wide so that Miette could add to it the fruit in her hands to it. As the last of the fruits tumbled from her hands, she withdrew them, her fingers brushing against Ash's as she did so. Shocked by the contact, Ash stared first at her face, then down at her hands. As he did so he caught sight of a red streak on one of them. He was immensely glad for the distraction.

"You're bleeding," he said, concern evident.

Miette's smile instantly turned to a frown. Looking down at her hands, she quickly saw that Ash was right; focused as she was on the cute boy across from her, she hadn't been paying enough attention to handling the fruit carefully and had been pricked.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, not really," she answered truthfully. Even now that she noticed the cut she didn't feel any pain.

"It doesn't look too bad, but still…" he trailed off. Pulling off his backpack, he rummaged through it for a few seconds until he withdrew a white handkerchief emblazoned with a small blue Pokeball. "Give me your hand."

Now it was Miette's turn to feel nervous. Tentatively she reached out her hand. Ash, gripping the handkerchief in both hands, wrapped it around Miette's cut finger and squeezed, applying a gentle but firm pressure. After a moment, he removed one of his hands and used it to guide her uninjured hand over to take its place. "Now just squeeze it like this for a minute or so and you'll be fine."

"Thanks so much Ash, your hands are so…" Whatever Miette was going to say was cut off by a loud cough. Both of them turned their heads in the direction of the cough. Standing there, hands on her hips, was Serena, Fennekin on one side and Bonnie on the other. All three had unpleasant expressions on their faces.

Ash withdrew his hands from Miette suddenly as if burned. Suddenly his heart flooded with a nervousness and fear altogether different than what he'd felt upon first encountering Miette a few minutes ago. He stood up from his squatting position on the ground, grabbing the bag of fruit as he did so. Putting a smile on his face and adjusting his hat, he addressed the newcomers with forced nonchalance. "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"What's going on here," she asked, ignoring Ash's question.

"Nothing. Miette cut herself helping me gather some berries. I was just helping her with some first aid is all." Inwardly Ash winced at how defensive he sounded.

"But what are you even doing gathering berries by yourself in the first place?" There was an edge in her voice that, before today, Ash had rarely heard. Today however its occurrence had been quite frequent, usually when Serena was talking to Miette. Now it was directed at him.

"Clemont asked me to get some Petaya berries since there weren't any by the clearing. You know we need to replenish our supply."

"Oh," Serena replied. She wasn't exactly happy with the position she'd found them in, but she could hardly fault Ash for trying to help out. "But why is _she_ here?"

"Well, I was almost finished gathering everything I need," Miette said. "So I decided to head back in the direction of the clearing and just happened to run into Ash. I saw he could use some assistance and so Slurpuff and I didn't hesitate to offer ours."

Serena didn't buy for a second that Miette had "just happened" to run into Ash. But voicing her suspicions would look petty.

"Well," Ash started, trying to clear the awkwardness hanging over the scene, "I think I have more than enough." He hoisted the bag over his shoulder. "Come on Pikachu, let's head back to the others. See you guys later," he waved. "And be careful Miette, I wouldn't want you getting hurt again."

At this Miette shot Serena a triumphant look, causing Serena to frown. While Ash's back was turned and thus he didn't see this exchange, Bonnie did. She mirrored the expression on Serena's face.

"Oh and Miette," Ash called over his shoulder as he was walking away, "make sure you return my cloth. It's very special to me."

Looking at the handkerchief in Miette's hands, it was Serena's turn to shoot her rival a triumphant smirk. Although of course a bit miffed that Ash had given this sign of their bond to Miette, her disquiet was outweighed by Ash's comment that it was "very special" and that he wanted it back. Miette, though confused by Serena's look of triumph, recognized Serena's expression for what it was and shot a glare right back at her. After a moment she turned and walked back into the woods, Slurpuff following behind.

Once she had gone Bonnie broke the silence. "I really don't like that girl. She's so mean to you Serena!"

Serena smiled at this. "Thanks Bonnie, it's nice to know I have some support. Although let's not make a habit of saying bad things about people, 'kay?" As much as she disliked Miette, Serena knew nothing good would come of insulting her even if the girl got on her nerves. Refraining from such a self-destructive course would also help set a good example for Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

"Well, now that that's settled, we still have a few more kinds berries to gather. So let's go." At that the two girls turned and walked deeper into the forest.

About a quarter of an hour later the two girls walked back into the where the group had faced off against Team Rocket. Quickly spotting the boys standing around chatting with Miette, Serena quickened her pace, anxious about what Miette might be saying to them in her absence. Catching sight of the two girls approaching, Ash smiled and waved the two of them over. Once confirming that everyone had what they need, the group turned and began the trek back to Cyllage City.

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><p><strong>Thanks again to all of you for reading and a special thanks to those that reviewed! And great catch somethingreallystupid, way to give credence to the quote upon which this episode's dub title was based.<br>**

**Before you grab the pitchforks Amourshippers, Ash does not have feelings for Miette. He's just being a guy, and that's not an excuse, it's a reality. The very early Pokémon Tech episode shows this reaction is not entirely out of Ash's character either. Whatever (in-universe reason) eventually caused Ash to become super dense, the denseness has finally been shattered. As a result, he's getting hit with everything at once and is struggling to come to terms with it all. When he gets "caught" as it were, he _is_ defensive for a reason. As readers we all know what that reason is; poor Ash hasn't quite gotten it just yet. Although you'll notice I made a minor tweak to the events covered in the anime episode to show that part of him does realize the truth.  
><strong>

**It's a struggle to get the character's thoughts right; the limitation of anime as a medium means we rarely get a direct look at characters' thought processes. Ash is not a particularly contemplative person, but he no doubt has thoughts beyond "that's a cool Pokémon" and "wonder what's for dinner." In dealing with this topic I am giving him a type of maturity beyond what we've seen (consistently at least) in the anime while trying to make it true to the fact that he's still young and quite new to the whole thing.**

**Given the scope I've set for this fic, him going from "knowing nothing" about romance to understanding his feelings and acting on them will probably happen faster than is realistic, but, in the end, it's the story I want to tell. This, of course, is no slight against anyone with a different timeframe in their story; there are plenty of quality one-shots out there.**


	12. A Good Word Makes Glad

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Miette would come back and/or we'd see more recurring characters. One of the strengths of Diamond & Pearl and, to a lesser extent, Black & White, was the number and depth of the recurring characters. Hopefully Summer Camp isn't the last we'll see of the "Rival Trio." _

_Some of the plot elements from this chapter are taken from the anime episode _A Battle By Any Other Name

_Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."_ - Proverbs 12:25

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><p>During the walk back to Cyllage City Bonnie, Clemont, and Brock enjoyed a nice chat that ranged across a variety of Pokémon-related topics. Ash however had no such luck. Serena and Miette both decided to engage him in conversation simultaneously. What's more, each of girls talked directly to him and barely acknowledged the other. Instead, they lavished Ash with praise, fished for compliments, and tried to get him to express some sort of preference for one of them over the other.<p>

This conversational tug-of-war put Ash in a difficult spot. All the praise made him embarrassed. And, while as a nice guy Ash had no problem giving genuine compliments, after a few minutes of talking with the girls Ash ran out of sincere ones, especially to Miette, whom he barely knew. The entire situation was as taxing as it was uncomfortable. Looking down at Pikachu, Ash sighed and hoped that they would get to Pokémon Center soon.

Unfortunately for Ash, it took over an hour before the group finally arrived at their destination. By this time Ash was feeling quite flustered and couldn't wait to break free of his two female companions. The girls were little better, frustrated both at one another and at Ash; his progressively unoriginal compliments and his refusal to clearly favor one of them over the other had begun to grate on both of them. Their mood was in stark contrast to the rest of the gang, who were still in a jovial mood; their talk had been quite engaging and keeping well behind the feuding girls and the hapless Mankey in the middle certainly hadn't hurt.

As they walked up the Pokémon Center, Ash paused at the threshold and turned to Miette. "Hey, I never did ask…where exactly are you headed? I mean, we're staying at the Pokémon Center and I just assumed…"

"Yeah, I'm staying here too. Most hotels don't allow you to keep your Pokémon out of their Pokeballs and I couldn't bear having Slurpuff cooped up all the time."

"Yeah, Pikachu hates being in his Pokeball as well."

"Uh guys," Brock coughed, catching their attention, "I don't know about you, but I'm kind of hungry."

Realizing they were holding up the others, Ash and Miette chuckled nervously and then started forward, causing the automatic doors of the Pokémon Center to slide open with a whoosh. The two walked in side by side, with Serena and the others following behind. As the group strode into the lobby, Ash abruptly halted and turned around to face everyone.

"Guys, you go on and eat without me," he said. "I want to get some training done. See everyone later!" With a quick wave, Ash turned and dashed off in the direction of the Pokémon Center's rear exit, relieved to finally be able to make his escape even if it meant going hungry. Pikachu, ever loyal, followed in his trainer's wake.

As the young Pokémon trainer beat a hasty retreat, Brock could not help but chuckle. He'd never seen a force powerful enough to override Ash's desire for food. While he'd only caught snippets of Ash and the girls' conversation on the way back, Brock had heard enough to understand exactly why Ash needed to get away from Serena and Miette. He only hoped that, with Ash gone, things wouldn't get any worse.

Clearing his throat, Brock turned to their new acquaintance. "You're more than welcome to join us Miette." Although this caused Serena, and to Brock's surprise, Bonnie to stare daggers at him, he ignored this, fixing his gaze on the blunette. He knew he was taking a risk here, but these two girls clearly had a lot in common…if only they could be made to see this it would be better for everyone, especially them. Besides, Miette had been of great help fighting Team Rocket; to blow her off now would be quite rude.

"Sure, I'd be happy to," she replied sweetly. Although she didn't look forward to being around Serena, Ash's other friends seemed nice enough and getting on their good side certainly wouldn't hurt.

"Great," he responded, pointedly ignoring Serena and Bonnie's miffed expressions.

As they headed into the cafeteria, Brock pulled Clemont aside for a quick word. Although the girls noticed this they said nothing, proceeding towards the buffet. The two boys caught up to the group a few moments later and started to pick out some food. Brock immediately engaged Miette in a conversation about baking, eager to discuss the differing benefits of Poké Puffs and Poffins. As they piled food on their plates, Brock proceeded to drag a reluctant Serena into the conversation as well. Although there was a bit of sniping, Brock was more clever than Ash at handling it, keeping the conversation focused on the topic of baking while deftly preventing it from turning into a debate on the merits of various methods or approaches; he knew from experience that discussions between experts could quickly turn ugly even without the catalyst of personal animosity.

After a few minutes of conversation, the girls were so engrossed that Brock had to jar their attention back to more practical concerns. "Hey, looks like Clemont and Bonnie have found us a table. Why don't we go sit down before our food starts to get cold."

Embarrassed by their inattentiveness and surprised that they were actually having a (somewhat) enjoyable conversation with one another, Miette and Serena merely nodded in response. As they walked over Brock quickened his pace and took the seat across from Bonnie and next to Clemont. As Clemont was sitting at the head of the table, this meant that there were only two seats left, both across from one another. Brock quickly motioned for Serena to take the seat next to him. With a start both girls realized that they'd been maneuvered into a position where they couldn't help but talk with one another. Smiling as if this was entirely unplanned, Brock picked up the conversation right where they'd left it off. Mentally shrugging, the two girls took their seats and continued their talk with Brock.

After a few minutes of conversation that was halfway between stilted and genuinely friendly, Brock decided to take another risk.

"So are you guys nervous about tomorrow? Those Berrybaker kids sure looked like tough competition."

At this both girls stopped chewing and looked at one another, expressions unreadable. Of course both of them were nervous…but neither one of them wanted to show weakness in front of the other.

Brock quickly realized the impasse…and just as quickly hit upon a solution. "There's no shame in admitting being nervous. Back in my Gym Leader days I always used to get nervous before a challenge. And of course you should have seen Ash the night before the Indigo Plateau Conference started or right before he faced his Sinnoh rival Paul in the Lily of the Valley Conference. He was excited of course, but nervous too."

After hearing this, Serena decided to take the plunge. "Yeah, I guess I can say the same," she chuckled nervously. "I mean, it's the first baking contest I've ever been in. It's hard to say where the excitement ends and the nervousness begins."

"Well, you'd think with all my experience I wouldn't be nervous at all, but actually I am," Miette admitted. "Doesn't mean I won't win it tomorrow though."

"Nope," said Serena confidently, "because I'm going to win it."

Instead of another angry stare-off, as might have been expected, the two girls just smiled tentatively. The rest of the group gave a mental sigh of relief. Perhaps good (or at least decent) food had, along with Brock's manipulations, worked a change in the tenor of the girls' relationship. Regardless of the cause, the decrease in tension was quite welcome to everyone.

Time passed and stomachs became full. Ash however had still yet to make an appearance. When Bonnie commented on this, both Miette and Serena were quick to volunteer to bring Ash some food. Brock could feel the tension spiking again and had to move quickly to defuse it.

"That's a good idea you two. We all know how much Ash loves to eat, so it's a good thing both of you are willing to help out. Honestly after everything today I'd be surprised if two plates filled with food were enough for him."

The two looked at one another and nodded calmly. Neither one of them wanted to get into a fight over this. Whether this reluctance was due to the failure of their previous efforts to get Ash to take a side or due to their recent rapprochement neither of them could truly say. Both of them got up and, after taking care their own plates, each grabbed a fresh one and headed back toward the buffet.

Serena instantly began gathering a number of different foods while Miette stood still, at a loss as to what to do. She honestly had no idea what Ash liked, but she was a bit hesitant to ask Serena. After a few moments, the desire to actually get something Ash would want won out. Swallowing her pride, she cleared her throat. "Serena, what exactly should I get? I mean, there are a lot of choices and I don't know exactly what Ash likes to eat."

If Serena had been a vindictive girl, she might have used her rival's admission to make a snide comment or even intentionally give bad advice. However, instead of doing either, she decided to extend grace instead. "Sure. He's not too picky honestly but I'd be happy to help."

Working together, the girls managed between the two of them to put together a decent repast. After settling up with the cafeteria's cashier, the two made their way to the Pokémon Center's rear training field. As they walked through the door and out on the field, they both paused for a moment to watch the aspiring Pokémon Master at work.

"Froakie, Water Pulse again!"

Ash's Froakie sent another Water Pulse hurtling across the field straight at Pikachu.

"Okay Pikachu you know what to do."

"Pika!" The Electric Mouse Pokémon stood motionless as a blue orb of water came hurtling at it. At the last possible instant, Pikachu turned sideways and brought its tail, which had turned silver, to bear, dispersing the attack.

After sighing in relief, both girls resumed their walk towards the trainer from Pallet.

"Ash," Serena called, "we brought you something to eat."

Serena's voice yanked Ash out of his intense focus on training. Turning, he did a double take when he realized that by "we" Serena had meant both herself and Miette. Ash's nerves flared up; this is exactly what he had come out here to avoid. Pasting on a smile, he said, "Thanks, but you didn't have to do this."

"We wanted to," Serena replied.

"Yeah," interjected Miette, "after everything you've been through today you must be starving."

"There's a picnic table over there," Serena said, pointing. "Why don't you take a break. I'm sure your Pokémon could use one as well."

"Okay," he said reluctantly. It's not that he didn't want to eat…he was starving actually. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to face everything again. Practicing had calmed him down, but now he could feel the tension building again. Recalling Froakie, Ash turned and shuffled toward the picnic table, Miette and Serena following behind. As he sat down the two girls placed their plates before him.

"Oh," said Serena, a flash of realization crossing her face, "I almost forgot." Removing her backpack, she quickly unzipped it and pulled out a bottle of ketchup. At the sight of the red bottle Pikachu's ears perked up. Uncapping it, she bent down and handed it to the Electric Mouse. "For you Pikachu."

Realizing that the two might go away if he started eating in front of them (after all, it would be a bit awkward to sit and watch someone else eat) Ash mumbled a quick thanks and began to dig in. He had no such luck. Instead of leaving him, the two girls took seats, Serena next to Ash and Miette straight across from him.

After a few moments of dead air, Miette broke the silence. "So do you like it?"

Ash nodded his head, not even bothering to stop.

"Great! Serena actually helped me pick out the food. I honestly had no idea what you like."

At this Ash actually paused between bites. "Really?"

They both nodded.

Ash didn't know how to respond. He couldn't decide which was more surprising, that they actually worked together on something or that they were voluntarily admitting it.

"Well, uh, I really appreciate it." Deciding to press on, he continued. "I know having a rival isn't always easy, I've had a few during my journeys and they weren't always friendly. But I learned a lot from 'em, especially the friendly ones. You can too!"

Miette and Serena glanced at one another. Ash spoke as if their rivalry were only about baking. If that were the case, his encouragement would make a lot of sense. But there was more to it than that. Neither was sure that they could ever be friends as long as Ash's heart was on the line. But that didn't mean that they couldn't make an attempt to be nice to one another.

"I guess that makes sense Ash," responded Serena.

Miette nodded. "We certainly can try harder."

Ash smiled broadly. "Great you two! Believe me, this is the way to go." Not knowing what else to say, he gave them an encouraging smile and returned to his meal. As Ash continued devouring his food, his two female companions watched, unsure what else to say. While the tension between them had cooled somewhat, Ash was still a point of contention…but obviously not one they could do or say anything about with him sitting right there.

To the girls it may have looked like that Ash was completely engrossed in his food, but in reality he was entirely focused on the fact that Miette and Serena were both sitting in close proximity to him and neither seemed to be inclined to leave. Finding a way to deal with everything was complicated enough with them both staring straight at him. Swallowing, he decided to see if he could give them a prod in the right direction.

"I, uh, feel kinda embarrassed just having both of you watch me eat. I'm sure you've got better things to do, like prepare for the contest."

The two girls turned and glanced from Ash to one another. It was true that they both could stand to get in a bit of practice. But neither wanted to speak up first and take the risk that doing this would give the other an opportunity to have Ash's undivided attention.

"That's true Ash," started Serena, "but you see, the thing is…uh…I want to relax a bit before getting started. I know, you're going to keep training after you finish right?"

Ash nodded, not liking where she was going with this.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to watch for a bit."

"Me too," chimed Miette. "I think I could learn a lot from watching an experienced battler like you," she continued, shooting him a brilliant smile.

On the outside Ash gave a calm nod and a smile, telling the girls that he'd be happy to have them watch. On the inside though he was anything but calm. "_How am I going to focus with those two watching?"_ he wondered. Somehow the prospect of Serena and Miette watching this informal training session sent his heart racing more than any of his League Championship matches ever had. After thinking about it for a few moments, he realized he shouldn't be that surprised. At the start of his journey, it had been overconfidence that had kept him from feeling too nervous when battling. Over time that overconfidence had been gradually replaced with the coolness under pressure that came from experience. When it came to romance though…well, right now his nerves made his inexperience painfully clear.

All too quickly Ash finished the meal the girls had brought him. Looking down at his empty plates, with a start Ash realized he was facing two unfortunate firsts: wanting more food for a reason other than hunger and, even worse, finding himself wishing he could doing anything _but_ train his Pokémon. If he'd been of the literary bent such a bizarre situation would have prompted Ash to wonder if he'd somehow stumbled through the looking glass. As he was not thus inclined the young trainer from Pallet merely acknowledged the strange state of events with a quiet unease that he hoped neither of his female companions could detect. Sighing, he got up, brushed off his clothes, and headed back the battlefield, Pikachu following behind. The girls rose as well, taking positions on the sidelines.

"Alright Pikachu, let's help Fletchling improve its Speed. Sound good?"

Pikachu replied in affirmation. He had definitely picked up on his trainer's uneasy attitude, but was at a loss as to understand what was driving it. The best he could figure was that it had something to do with the two girls, but even this didn't seem quite right. Ash had trained and competed in front of groups small and large before. Why his trainer should be nervous in this particular case made no sense to him. He would just have to hope that Ash would forget all about whatever it was when they actually started training.

"Froakie, Fletchling, I choose you!" Ash tossed his Pokeballs and his two Kalos Pokémon emerged. "Okay, Fletchling, we're going to work on raising your Speed. Pikachu and Froakie are going to send a whole lot of attacks your way. I want you to dodge them all."

Froakie and Pikachu took up parallel positions on the side of the battlefield closest to Ash, as if they were gearing up for a double battle. Fletchling faced them from the other side of the battlefield, hovering in midair as it waited for the excitement to begin.

"Alright guys, attack!"

Both Ash's Pokémon hesitated, looking at each other questioningly. While Ash trusted his Pokémon, he always directed their attacks by calling them out. Realizing his stupid mistake, Ash chuckled nervously. "I mean, Pikachu, send some Electro Balls. Froakie, use Water Pulse…I mean fling your frubbles! Fletchling, just stay out of the way."

Over the next few minutes things didn't get much better. While the type of training they were doing didn't actually require Ash to call out a lot of attacks, his Pokémon were able to pick up on his nervousness nevertheless. While they kept up a steady stream of attacks, Pikachu and Froakie were both having a hard time being accurate. More than once Miette and Serena shrunk back from the battlefield, narrowly avoiding getting hit. Fletchling was having trouble as well. Its movements were jerky and random; furthermore, the inaccuracy of Pikachu and Froakie's attacks made them hard to predict, resulting in the Flying type getting hit repeatedly.

After a particularly wild Electro Ball collided with him five minutes in, Ash decided he had to call it quits even though they usually spent at least 15 minutes on this particular drill. Returning Fletchling to have a spot of rest, Ash turned to his remaining Pokémon and began the next drill. Unfortunately things didn't go any better with this one. Whether battling or training, usually he had no problem completely focusing on his Pokémon. Today however he couldn't keep his mind off the two girls watching him and what he was going to do about them. Of course, deep down he knew what he couldn't hesitate to act for much longer. After another particularly egregious mistake, a voice from the sidelines caught his attention.

"Everything okay Ash," Miette asked, some concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah Ash, is everything fine? You seemed a bit off your game."

Turning to the two girls, he plastered a smile on his face. "Of course," he replied with as much bravado as he could muster. After a moment he let out a sigh and let the mask drop. "Actually, maybe you're right Serena. Between the contest, Team Rocket, and the training we were doing before I ate, I guess my Pokémon and I are tired."

Miette nodded. "Makes sense Ash. Why don't you call it quits for now."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Turning, he thanked his Pokémon for their hard work and returned Froakie to its Pokeball.

Serena was a bit skeptical of Ash's explanation; he had experienced busier days than this and Team Rocket showing up was nothing new. Still, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Everyone did have off days after all.

The three trainers trotted off the battlefield and back into the Pokémon Center. The two girls paused in the hallway, causing Ash to stop as well.

"Uh, who's going to get to use the kitchen," ventured Serena. The Pokémon Center had only one and they both needed to prepare for tomorrow's contest. While preparation was partly a mental exercise, practical experimentation also played a role.

The comment hung in the air for a moment. Neither Miette nor Serena had a ready answer to this question…at least not one that would win them any points with Ash.

"Why don't you guys share," suggested Ash. "I mean, the kitchen is big enough for two and it's not like you'll steal each other's recipes, right?"

The two girls looked from Ash to one another, not sure what to say. Certainly there wasn't anything wrong with Ash's logic…but it still felt weird.

After a moment of awkward silence Miette took the initiative. Turning back to Ash and smiling, she said, "Sure Ash, sounds like a great idea. Unless you don't agree Serena?"

Miette's words and the tone with which they were conveyed didn't leave Serena an option, at least not if she wanted to stay in Ash's good graces. Besides, maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Smiling back, she responded, "Sounds fine to me. See you later Ash!" With that she gave Ash an enthusiastic wave.

"Bye Ash," Miette chimed in, giving Ash a wave as well. The two girls turned and headed toward the kitchen. Breathing what he hoped was a silent sigh of relief, Ash adjusted his hat and began walking in the other direction. Now that the girls were gone part of him wanted to head back outside to train, but he knew that that was not an option; no doubt he'd face the hurt and wrath of both girls if they caught him out there after telling them he was calling it quits. Instead he continued to make his way to the lobby, hoping he would find the others there. In this he was not disappointed.

Upon walking into the lobby Ash quickly spotted Bonnie and Brock chatting animatedly as they lounged in a pair of chairs. When Brock caught sight of Ash he waved him over. After he explained where the girls had gone off to and learned that Clemont was off tinkering with another invention, Brock resumed giving Bonnie tips on grooming Pokémon. It was a conversation Ash was happy to join, and before long thoughts of Serena and Miette were far from his mind.

* * *

><p>It was late in the evening and Ash was in the bathroom getting ready for bed. In addition to the usual routine of changing and brushing his teeth, he'd had one more task he'd decided to perform: washing the blood out of "the" handkerchief. Usually he'd do all his laundry at once, but when Miette had handed it back to him before she turned in Ash had decided that he needed to take care of this immediately. It's not that the handkerchief was that dirty; Miette's cut hadn't been all that deep. But still, something had driven him to want to take care of this as soon as possible.<p>

As his hands were busy with their task Ash's thoughts couldn't help but return to the romantic dilemma facing him. Although Miette was definitely cute, Ash wasn't interested. For one he'd never really liked short hair; more importantly she was too quick to put others down. Having been the butt of Gary's jibes for years, anyone with a mean streak really turned him off. It was part of the reason the first few days and weeks traveling with Misty were so hard; it took him a while to realize that she was actually a very caring person and there was no real malice behind the bluster. While deciding he was not interested in Miette in "that way" was relatively simple, he still had no idea what to do, if anything.

Serena however was much more complicated. Certainly she was very pretty, with her long blonde hair, brilliant blue eyes, clear complexion, and winning smile. She had a sunny and cheerful disposition that matched his own. While she was still getting used to the more difficult and distasteful aspects of a journey, he admired her willingness to stick with it and her to progressively push herself further and further out of her comfort zone. But was this any different from how he regarded Dawn or May or Iris or Misty? He had been going back and forth on the issue all day. This was frustrating as well; he was used to being able to make choices and take decisive action quickly.

Mentally he returned to what sparked this initial debate: Brock bringing up the possibility of Serena's interest in Clemont. At that moment he'd felt hurt, jealous even; he couldn't recall feelings like those before. This seemed to be good evidence that his feelings for Serena might be something different. He also thought back to the afternoon and how concerned he felt when Serena had stumbled across him and Miette in the woods. His first reaction had been worry and panic; he'd wanted to distance himself from Miette and make sure that Serena didn't get the wrong impression. Finally, there was the nervous racing of his heart that had been his constant companion since realizing that Serena liked him, nervousness he knew could only be partly due to the novelty and awkwardness of the situation. There was only one conclusion, and, staring at himself in the mirror, he struggled to give voice to it. Finally, he managed to get it out.

"I guess I really do love her."

Saying it aloud, Ash felt a surge of gladness spring up in his heart. Although his nervousness was still there, it was somewhat lessened. His course of action was clear; he would have to tell her. This was, of course, easier said than done, but he knew that, given enough preparation, he'd be able to rise to the challenge. But that would have to wait for another day.

Wringing out the handkerchief and then hanging it to dry, Ash then washed his own face. When done he turned and, after switching off the lights, opened the bathroom door and walked back into the main room. The lights were out and Bonnie and Clemont were already snug in their beds. The only visible light was coming from the screen of Serena's electronic guidebook, which cast a pale glow on her face as she lay on top of her bed. Evidently she was waiting for her turn in the bathroom.

The sound of the door opening caught Serena's attention and she looked straight up at Ash. Seeing her face, he felt his face flush at the memory of what he'd said to himself a few moments before and all that it would entail. He was thankful that the darkness prevented her from seeing the red that must surely be coloring his face.

"All yours," he whispered, fearing that if he dared say more she might be able to pick up something in his voice.

Serena got up and, using her guidebook to illuminate the way, walked toward the bathroom. "Thanks! Good night Ash."

"Night," he called over his shoulder softly as he made his way to his own bed, where Pikachu already lay curled up. As he positioned himself under his covers, Ash sincerely hoped that he'd actually be able to get some sleep that night. Fortunately for Ash the physical and mental exhaustion of the day worked in his favor. Before long Ash was snoozing comfortably with visions of Pokémon battles dancing in his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Ash! But at least he's finally cut through his denseness and come to the heart of the matter. I'll admit Ash has come a long way in just a few days. While the progress is necessary for the story, I also think it can make sense; we often have moments like this where everything just falls into place. After what was somewhat of a "filler" chapter last week hopefully this makes you eager to come back, especially since next chapter promises to be quite eventful.<strong>

**Ash's nervousness is, I grant you, something we don't usually see overtly. In the anime he's admitted to nervousness before battling before…but what strikes me more is Ash's stilted and awkward performance when he is shooting his first scene for Luke's Pokémon Knight movie in Nimbasa Town. In that situation he got over the nerves of dealing with a new situation quickly, but I've got to believe that in a situation like this, he'd be more worried and wouldn't get over it quite so easily. And, as the anime shows, Pokémon are influenced a lot by the mood and personality of their trainers, thus resulting in the poor performance Ash's partners showcased here.**

**As I mentioned before, Serena and Miette's rapprochement in the anime seems a bit rushed to me, so I've filled in some back story to lead up to it. Their relationship has the potential for a number of interesting relational dynamics and I hope the anime explores it a bit more; having someone that fits into both the friendly and unfriendly rival camp would be an interesting counterpoint to the usual dynamic.**


	13. Putting Away Childish Things

_Some dialogue and plot elements from this chapter are taken from the anime episode _A Battle By Any Other Name.

_When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."_ 1 Corinthians 13:11

* * *

><p>The next morning, much to Brock's surprise, Serena was the first one to join him for breakfast in the Pokémon Center's cafeteria. Realizing that her early appearance was probably indicative of nervousness about the upcoming contest, Brock decided to give her a bit of reassurance.<p>

"Morning Serena. Must say I'm surprised to see you up and about this early."

"Yeah," she said, expression blank, "I didn't sleep very well."

Brock nodded in understanding. "Perfectly reasonable. I'd tell you not to be nervous, but that probably wouldn't do you any good."

This elicited a brief chuckle. "Yeah, probably not."

"But I do want to say I have every confidence that you'll do great today. I can tell you have great passion and real talent for this."

"Yeah, I guess." At this her expression clouded. Pausing, she put down her fork. "The thing is Brock, I'm still really unsure what I want to do with myself. I mean, I love baking and am getting to enjoy cooking. I also really like doing PokéVision videos. But I'm not sure I want to pursue any of those things full time. And then there's Ash…"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"I don't know…seeing him on TV saving Garchomp is what spurred me to finally leave on my journey. And until I have a path of my own, I plan on sticking by his side. It's hard though…sometimes I worry that my life will be wasted if I don't find some great career or dream of my own. But other times I feel like the greatest thing I could do is support Ash in his goals."

Brock put up his hand. "Slow down Serena! You're still young; you've got a long time to think about these things. Don't get too far ahead of yourself."

Serena sighed. "Yeah, I know you're right. But being a girl isn't easy Brock."

Brock nodded. "After taking care of four younger sisters, believe me I know. But being a guy is no picnic either. The challenges and pressures are different, but they're still there. But the grass is always greener…"

"Did I hear someone mention Grass types," said a familiar voice from behind them.

Turning, the two caught sight of Ash and Pikachu standing not too far away. Ash was holding a tray laden with food. Apparently he'd only caught the very end of their conversation, something for which Serena was immensely grateful.

"Not even close Ash." Brock smiled and gestured for Ash to join them. Nodding his thanks, Ash took a seat next to Serena and began digging in. Bonnie and Clemont joined them a few minutes later and made it a quintet. Although everyone was expecting Miette to show up at some point, she never did. Before heading out the group briefly debated about whether to wait for her in the lobby, but with Round Two due to start soon, the group had no choice but to leave and head for the competition, trusting that she could handle herself.

By the time they arrived there was already a decent sized crowd. Recognized as one of the finalists, Serena was admitted to the performance area where, with a start, she saw that Miette was already present. Waving goodbye to her friends, Serena headed to her workstation. Calling out Fennekin, she began to unpack and organize her things.

Before long the starting bell sounded and the competitors began to prepare their entries. With only Serena, Miette, and the Berrybaker kids left, the mood was noticeably different from the day before. All the remaining competitors had already proved themselves to be quite skilled and there were only four of them left. This meant that the audience, which was basically the same size as the day before, could closely scrutinize each participant. Yet after the first few minutes, none of this really mattered, at least to the competitors. All of them were so engrossed in baking that they lost track of everything else. Ash and his friends in the audience however had nothing to distract them from the tension in the air, a tension that grew thicker as time wound down.

While the others tried to calm themselves by making small talk, Ash was lost in his own world. His nervousness was really starting to get to him. During the first few minutes of the competition he had of course been dominated by worries about how the contest would turn out. He was definitely hoping that Serena would win, although he didn't want to hurt Miette's feelings by making his support obvious. This line of thinking started him considering the sticky situation in which he had somehow become entangled. While he'd sorted out his feelings, he was still anxious about what exactly to do now. Nothing in all his prior experiences prepared him for how to deal with one girl liking him, let alone two. He needed a plan if he wanted to avoid, or at least minimize, hurt feelings.

A stampede of thoughts raced uncontrolled through Ash's mind and he seemed as powerless to rein them in as he was at stopping his own herd of Tauros. The tension was growing, and it must have begun to manifest itself physically because a sudden electric shock jolted him back to reality. Looking down to his lap at Pikachu, Ash realized with a stab of guilt that he must have been gripping Pikachu far too tightly.

"Sorry buddy," he murmured, stroking Pikachu's head. "Guess I have a lot on my mind." Pikachu looked back, clearly confused. It wasn't like his trainer to act in this way. From yesterday's training session he'd gotten the sense that Ash's weird behavior had something to do with Miette and Serena, but what it was about them that was making his trainer act this way escaped him. The only thing he could think of was it might have something to do with Ash and Brock's talk yesterday, although why Ash should be so worried about feelings that were perfectly natural escaped him.

Ash took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. Putting his hat back on, he stared intensely at the competition. Focusing in on Miette, with a start he realized that, once this competition was over, they would probably go their separate ways. At first relief coursed through him…but this was immediately followed by a wave of guilt. Avoiding the truth wasn't fair to anyone, especially not to Miette. _"I have to tell her before she leaves,"_ Ash realized. It wouldn't be fair after all to give her false hope. At this his stomach gave a lurch. Letting out a deep breath, he turned his attention back to the competition, hoping that this time it would help distract him, even if temporarily, from thoughts of the confrontation to come.

* * *

><p>As the last minute of Round Two ticked down, all the competitors hurried to make sure everything was "just so." As skilled bakers, all of them had finished their Poke Puffs with enough time to spare. However, that didn't mean there wasn't always something else to tweak. They all wanted to win and they all knew that, in a group so talented, the smallest thing could mean the difference between victory and defeat.<p>

With a buzz, the timer sounded and the competitors ceased their activities. The finished Poke Puffs were collected and the competitors began the process of cleaning up. Unfortunately for Serena's nerves, this didn't take nearly long enough. In fact, she finished just in time to see Gina move from evaluating the Poke Puffs' appearance and presentation to actually sampling their taste. Her heart rate accelerated as Gina made her way from Miette's plate to hers. She watched Gina intently as the Poke Puff pâtissier gave her Poke Puff a delicate sniff and clenched her teeth as Gina took a bite. Unfortunately, Gina's face betrayed nothing, maintaining the same blank expression she'd had since the judging began. When she finally moved on to Berrybaker kids' entry Serena the tension lessen…slightly.

Turning away, she looked out to the audience, scanning the crowd for her friends. She had been so focused on the practice of her craft during the competition that she hadn't really paid attention to anything else before now. She quickly located her friends, seated front and center, roughly in the same position as yesterday. When she caught Ash's gaze he smiled broadly and waved. The others, noticing this, did the same. Serena smiled at this and gave a small wave of her own. Just knowing that they supported her took some of the metaphorical weight off her shoulders.

"Would the competitors please come to the stage," the emcee announced. Heart rate increasing again, Serena turned away from the crowd and made her way towards the stage, hoping that she at least looked calmer than she felt. Once the competitors were all assembled, Gina began sharing the results of her evaluation, giving each entry high praise. It didn't escape Serena's notice that while her own Poke Puff was best suited to Fennekin and other Fire types, Miette had prepared one that would appeal to both her and Ash's number one partners. _"Can't think about that now,"_ she told herself silently.

Finally the moment had come. The attention of every single person in the contest area was fixed on Gina as she paused, letting the anticipation and tension build to a crescendo. Finally, she smiled and extended her hand towards the winning contestant: the Berrybaker kids. The faces of the brother-sister pair lit up with identical expressions of excitement at their success. Serena and Miette also had identical expressions on their faces, but theirs manifested not the triumphant exuberance of victory but rather the shock and disappointment of defeat. Although neither of them would have admitted it, their surprise was in part due to the fact that they had both been so focused on their own rivalry that they'd practically forgotten the other finalists.

Ash and his friends were surprised at the outcome as well, though of course they weren't nearly as crestfallen as Serena or Miette. No one quite knew what to say as Gina presented the Berrybaker kids with their prize. Finally, Brock broke the silence by stating the obvious.

"Well, that was unexpected."

"I can't believe Serena didn't win," Bonnie pouted.

"Actually, the outcome may not be so surprising after all," Clemont observed.

Everyone turned to look at Clemont, startled that he would say such a thing. "What do you mean," Ash said a bit defensively, "Serena's an awesome baker!"

"Yeah big brother, are you saying you don't like her Poke Puffs?" Bonnie had an upset look on her face.

"No no," Clemont responded, waving his arms to emphasize the point, "that's not what I meant. Gina's comments said it all; Serena's Poke Puffs were best suited for only one specific type of Pokémon; Miette's were suited for two. But the Berrybaker kids made a recipe without such a narrow type focus. Perhaps that's why they won."

Brock nodded his head in understanding. "Makes sense. It's a bit subjective of course, but the entire process of judging food is pretty subjective anyways, so I guess we can't be too upset."

Bonnie understood, but still huffed in disappointment. "Still, she should have won."

"Don't worry Bonnie," said Ash, placing his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, "she'll win next time! And until then, we'll just have to help her by test-tasting all her recipes."

Bonnie brightened at this suggestion. "Sounds good to me!"

Brock stood. "Looks like everyone is clearing out. Let's go over to Serena and Miette, I'm sure they could both use some encouragement."

As the crowd began to melt away, Serena turned to look at her rival. Honestly this was an outcome that she never had considered. She had no idea what to say. Apparently Miette felt the same. An awkward silence hung between the two of them as they each stirred in their own recriminations. An excited voice broke the moment.

"Hey guys, are you alright?"

The two girls turned and looked into the eyes of Ash Ketchum. He stood at the head of the group of friends, Pikachu perched on his shoulder and an encouraging smile on his face. The sight of it made losing almost bearable.

Serena attempted a smile. "Hey Ash, hey everybody. Everything's alright I guess. I'm disappointed of course, but there's always next time."

Miette nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I was definitely hoping to win. But I know I did my best. I guess I'll just have to keep working hard."

Ash pumped his fist. "Exactly! Both of you will keep doing your best and getting stronger. You can't let losing stand in the way of your dreams."

"Thank Ash, that means a lot," said Serena.

Miette nodded in agreement. "Ash, everyone, I really enjoyed spending time with you. But I have my own journey to take. Hope to see you all again sometime soon."

"Sure Miette," Ash nodded. He didn't want her to leave without him having a chance to speak to her about his feelings, but couldn't see a way to do it right now. "It was nice to meet you."

"Indeed," supplied Clemont. Everyone, even Serena, echoed the sentiment.

"But before I go, I hope you don't mind if I grab a word with Serena alone."

Ash's nerves went into overdrive. It took him a second to realize that it was Serena, not him, Miette wished to speak with. This calmed him down a bit, but he was still worried. He hoped that they would actually part as friendly rivals and not as enemies.

"Sure, no problem," Brock said. "Serena, we'll wait for you just over there," he continued, indicating a spot not too far away. The group walked there, leaving Serena and Miette to their conversation. As they stood around waiting, Brock and Clemont starting chatting, but Ash tuned their conversation out. He kept his attention fixed on the two girls, hopefully without being too obvious. It's not that he wanted to hear what they were saying word for word, which would have been impossible anyways given the distance. Instead, he was watching their body language, hoping to discern whether or not they would part as friends. As the conversation unfolded, it looked like they were going to. The only thing that was potentially troubling was Miette drawing close and whispering something to Serena…but after she pulled back both of them were still smiling, so it must not have been too mean.

A stomach grumbled, and for once it wasn't Ash's. Blushing in embarrassment, Bonnie smiled at the group. "I guess all the Poke Puffs made me hungry. Hope we can go find some lunch soon."

Brock nodded. "Don't worry, as soon as…"

But Ash didn't wait. He called out to Serena, telling her that it was time that they got going. When Brock shot him a look, Ash had the good grace to look somewhat sheepish. "What, Bonnie's the one that's hungry, not me."

With one last wave, Serena turned and within a few strides had resumed her place among the group of travelers. Miette started off in another direction. Realizing that this was his only chance, Ash steeled his resolve.

"Guys, uh I just remembered that there's something I got take care of before we head back to the Pokémon Center. Mind waiting a minute?"

Realizing from the tension in Ash's voice that it must have something to do with Miette, Brock jumped in before anyone else could respond. "Sure Ash, we'll wait." Turning to Clemont, Brock continued. "After lunch let's have that battle. Carbink and I could use some more practice before we go up against Grant."

As Ash trotted off, with a start Serena realized that he was heading in the same direction Miette had departed in. Noticing that Brock and Clemont were distracted by Bonnie grousing about the delay, Serena took the opportunity to slip away in pursuit of Ash, the painful memory of finding him alone with Miette in the forest yesterday still fresh in her mind. What exactly she intended to do she didn't know; all that she did know was that she had to make sure that, whatever Ash was "taking care of," it didn't involve Miette. Even though she'd parted with Miette on good terms, Serena wanted to be the one to take care of Ash. Hearing two voices ahead, Serena came to a stop and crouched behind some bushes. From her vantage point she could just make out Miette and Ash standing around the corner.

"So, you see, the thing is, I am actually kind of interested in someone else. I didn't want to let you go without saying anything, but I figured you wouldn't want me to bring this up in front of everyone else."

"_Oh no,"_ Serena thought to herself. While at first she'd felt a surge of gladness that Ash wasn't after Miette, her emotions came crashing down once she realized that there _was_ someone else.

"Well, I have to say I'm disappointed of course," started Miette, a hint of sadness evident in her tone. "You seem like a really great guy. You're cute and brave. Whoever this girl is I'm sure you'll make her really happy when you let her know."

Ash chuckled nervously. "I hope so."

"Well, if it doesn't work out, you know how to find me." Miette had shared her contact details with the group yesterday evening.

"Uh, sure." There didn't seem to be anything else to say.

"Well, I guess this goodbye then Ash. It was so nice to meet you." She closed the distance between the two and gave him a hug. Serena felt queasy at the sight of it.

Ash returned the embrace, being sure to keep it brief. After they parted, he said "Nice meeting you too. Best wishes Miette!"

"Same to you Ash."

Miette turned to go and Serena started to stand up, but she jerked to a halt when Miette stopped mid stride. She turned back and then looked at Ash. "Just one more thing. If you were able to pick up how I feel about you, you must have realized that Serena feels the same way."

"_Oh no, has he known how I feel all this time? If so, why hasn't he said anything to me? Why tell Miette about his feelings for someone else but not tell me?"_ Confusion swirled in Serena's mind. Nothing made sense.

"Uh, yeah, I kinda figured that out."

"You'll need to tell her how you feel as well."

"You're right," Ash sighed, shifting uncomfortably, "but it's not that easy."

"Well, after all you did fighting those weirdos and their giant robot, I know you can do it."

Ash nodded. "Thanks Miette."

"You're welcome. See you later Ash."

Realizing she would get caught if she stayed any longer, Serena rushed away, trying and failing to keep the tears from flowing. At the next fork she cut down another path, one that would take her the long way back to where she had left her friends. This way she could avoid Ash as he walked to rejoin the group and have some extra time to gather her thoughts.

"_Stop blubbing,"_ she said to herself, _"So he doesn't like you. It's not the end of the world."_ Yet at that moment it felt very much like a big part of Serena's world was indeed coming to an end. Her heart was breaking…surely that was worth some tears. "_Not in public. It wouldn't do for someone to see you, especially not him."_ Resolving to hold everything in until they made it back to the Pokémon Center, she blinked, wiped her eyes clean, and then resumed her trek back to her friends, willing herself to be strong...at least for a while.

As she approached the group she noticed that Ash had already rejoined the others. Steeling herself for a fresh wave of emotions, she made her way to them, determined to not to give any sign of what had happened.

"Hey Serena," Bonnie said as she walked, "Where'd you run off to?"

Glad it was the young girl that was asking the question and not the trainer from Pallet, she plastered a smile on her face and placed her hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "Nowhere silly, I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit, work off some of my nervous energy. So it's back to the Pokémon Center guys, right?"

"Yeah," Brock responded, "I think we should be able to grab a late lunch. Then Clemont and I are going to do some training for my battle tomorrow." He noticed Serena looked a bit out of sorts after her mysterious walk, but couldn't do anything about that now without embarrassing the girl. He resolved to try to find some time after lunch to talk with her alone. _"She's probably just disappointed about losing the contest."_

"Cool," interjected Ash, "I probably should do some training too! We've got to keep getting stronger if we want to win our next Gym battle, isn't that right buddy?" It would also give him a chance to avoid thinking about Serena for a bit. Letting Miette down had been harder than he'd thought and, despite having every confidence that Serena liked him back, he still wasn't ready to share his feelings with her just yet. Plus, after yesterday's disastrous attempt at training Ash knew that both he and his Pokémon could use a confidence booster; who knows, it might even help him gather up the resolve to talk with Serena.

"Pika!" Ash's number one partner, as always, shared his trainer's enthusiasm for battling.

Clemont turned to Serena. "Will you be joining us? I bet Fennekin could use some training too."

Having the group's undivided attention fixed back on her caused Serena's resolve to buckle. Summoning as much self-control as she could muster, she turned to face Clemont and made a reply. "I don't think so guys, not today."

"Oh, okay." Clemont responded.

Internally Ash sighed in relief. Having her around would serve as a constant reminder of what he was avoiding; while ordinarily he would encourage her to train, this time he was relieved that she wasn't interested.

At this the group turned and headed back to the Pokémon Center. Their talk was spirited and amiable; everyone was looking forward to a good afternoon spent with friends. Clemont immediately engaged Ash in a conversation about one of his new inventions, sharing his ideas for improvement with the excited trainer. While Brock was having a nice discussion with Bonnie about making Pokémon food, he did notice that Serena was unusually quiet. In fact, she had hardly said three words since she refused Clemont's invitation to train. Now sure that something was wrong, he resolved to speak with her after they finished lunch.

While it was a bit late for lunch when they finally arrived back at the Pokémon Center, the cafeteria was still open. After grabbing food and sitting down, the five friends continued their conversation, appetites fueled by the day's excitement. Or rather, four friends conversed and ate while a fifth sat, pushing her food around her plate and saying little.

At first Ash attacked his food with the usual gusto, ignoring everything else around him. After a few minutes though, as his feeding frenzy slowed, he began to pay attention to his surroundings again. It didn't take him too long to realize that not only was Serena not talking, but she had hardly eaten anything. Concerned for his friend, Ash finished chewing, swallowed, and then turned toward her.

"Serena, is anything wrong? You've hardly touched your lunch. And you haven't really said anything."

Brock mentally facepalmed. While Ash noticing Serena's distress was certainly a sign of progress, he still had a lot to learn about sensitivity. _"Hopefully that's one of the many things that rubs off on Ash when these two finally get their act together."_

Serena on the other hand looked like a Deerling caught in the headlights. Even though she had no food or drink in her mouth, she made an exaggerated gulping sound. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong. What could possibly be wrong?" Her tone and the increasing speed of her speech belied the reassuring message her words tried to convey.

"Come on Serena, if I noticed something is off, you can bet everyone else has too." Ash gave a nervous chuckle. The boy from Pallet meant well but attention was the last thing Serena wanted just then.

Pushing her chair back forcefully, Serena stood. "Nothing is wrong," she shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. At this loud outburst the rest of the cafeteria patrons turned towards her. Though at this time of day there weren't many other people still eating, in Serena's mind's eye it felt like the eyes of the world were upon her. She needed to get out of there, now. Bring her arms back down and schooling her expression, she continued. "I'm just tired. I'm going to the room to take a nap. I'll see you guys later." With that Serena turned and fled the scene.

Shocked, none of Serena's friends knew how to react at first; they just watched her go. Brock, being the most mature, was the first to recover.

"Ash, you're going to need to go after her," Brock intoned calmly.

"What? Why me?" Ash was shocked at Brock's suggestion. While he wanted to make sure Serena was okay of course, the last thing he wanted right now was to be alone with her. In her emotional state he was bound to say or do the wrong thing, and the thought terrified him. Plus what if they were overanalyzing things and she really was just in the mood for a nap.

"I think we all know why it has to be you," Brock continued calmly, taking another bite from his sandwich.

"Well it's about time!" Bonnie said. "I thought you would never realize…"

"Bonnie!" Clemont moaned, trying to cut her off from revealing their friend's secret.

"Don't worry Clemont, Ash already knows about Serena's feelings for him," Brock soothed.

"What," Bonnie exclaimed. "When did that happen? What are you going to do? Tell me tell me tell me!

"Bonnie, calm down," Clemont said nervously. "This is sooo embarrassing," he continued, bowing his head in act of apology.

"I still don't get why anyone has to go," Ash griped. "I mean, she clearly wants to be left alone. We should respect that."

"She _wants_ to be left alone sure," Brock said, "but what she _needs_ is you."

"What am I supposed to say?" While Ash had had many female friends over the years and had occasionally had to deal with them when they were distressed, he'd never faced a situation anything like this.

"I think you know that too," Brock replied.

"Brock, she's upset at something, I don't really think this is the time…" Ash started.

"This is exactly the time," Brock interrupted.

Ash had rarely seen Brock act so forcefully, but when he had it meant you better pay attention. Straightening up in his seat, Ash fixed his gaze straight at his friend.

Noting Ash's change in posture, Brock continued. "There's only one thing, or rather one person, that could have made her react like that. Getting it all out in the open is the only way to resolve things. Now get going buddy and make Brock proud!" With this he clapped Ash gently on the shoulder in a gesture of encouragement.

"I guess you're right." Ash got up and put his hat back on his head, adjusting it nervously. "Pikachu, you stay here. This is one battle I need to face alone." Turning, Ash strode determinedly in the direction of their room.

"Can we go too Clemont, can we," Bonnie implored. After waiting for this moment for so long she didn't want to miss it.

"No Bonnie, we can't," Clemont said, exasperation evident. "This is a private moment for Ash and Serena. It's not some TV drama for others to watch."

Bonnie pursed her lips in annoyance. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to focus on finding you a wife."

Brock laughed. "How about we finish our lunch and go get a battle started instead?"

"That's okay I guess," Bonnie said, resigned to the fact that her search for a wife for her brother would have to wait for another day. Besides, watching them battle would be fun.

* * *

><p>Ash stood in front of the door to the room he and his three Kalos companions were staying in. One hand gripped the room key firmly, the other hovered just above the door handle. All he had to do was slide the key in the lock, turn the handle and he could open the door and walk in. But instead of doing that, he was frozen in place, unable to take the plunge but unwilling to turn back. Dimly he realized that he was standing at the threshold not just of their room, but of a major change in his life. By sharing his feelings, by allowing romance into his life, nothing would ever be the same again. It both thrilled and terrified him.<p>

A mournful sob shook Ash out of his paralysis. Pressing his ear to the door, he could now distinctly hear the sounds of crying coming from the room. Part of him wanted to run far, far away from this sound, as it was as scary a sound as he'd ever heard. Concern and love won out over fear and, before he could get short-circuited by any second thoughts, he inserted the key, flung open the door, and ran in.

* * *

><p>Finally getting back to the room, Serena let loose a huge sigh and let her mask of composure fall away. As soon as the door closed behind her she ran to her bed. Hurling herself headlong onto it and burying her face in her pillow, Serena's emotional dam finally burst and she let her tears flow freely. Gripping her pillow tightly, she mourned the loss of a future that might have been, one that had been so abruptly snatched away. At that moment it felt as if she could fill an ocean with her tears.<p>

A sudden slam snapped her focus away from her inner turmoil back into the wider world. Lifting her head from her pillow, she saw with a start someone standing in the doorway. Squinting, she quickly recognized that it was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Go away Ash," she half shouted, half pleaded. "Just go!"

Ash would not be dissuaded. Although he'd been reluctant to follow her initially, opening the door and striding in had committed him to this path. He wouldn't back down now, not for anything. He walked over to her bed, stopping right at its foot.

"No," he said purposefully. "I'm not leaving. I'm here for you." The determination in his voice was obvious.

Rolling over and sitting up on the bed, she fixed him a pained look. "Don't you have somewhere else you'd rather be," she said bitterly, not bothering to hide the tears now. "Or rather _someone_ you'd rather be with."

"What are you talking about," Ash asked, genuinely confused. "There's no one else I'd rather be with right now."

"Oh yeah I forgot, this is Ash the great I'm talking to," Serena snapped back, venom clear in her tone. "I'm Ash, I'm so great, I can smash a girl's heart no problem, but because I'm _so_ noble I'll make sure I tape the pieces back together again. That way I can go guilt free and tell my precious May just how I feel about her."

Ash was even more confused. "What does May have to do with anything?"

Serena scoffed. "I overheard what you said to Miette, that there is 'someone else' you have feelings for. So, if it's not May who is it? Dawn? Misty? Iris? The world is dying to know!" she concluded bitterly. Anger exhausted, she broke out into a fresh round of sobs.

Realization dawning on Ash, he chuckled nervously. He took a few steps closer to her. Seeing Ash approach, Serena deliberately buried her face in her hands, not wanting to see him. After a moment, he gently gripped her hands with his. She was surprised to feel Ash's bare flesh on hers; apparently he'd removed his gloves. Although strong, his hands were softer than she'd expected. She was so surprised at his touch that she offered no resistance as he gently lowered her hands from her eyes. However, even as she let him bring her hands away from her face, she forced her eyes shut, still having no desire to look at him, afraid of what she might say or do if she did.

"Serena," he said gently.

She ignored him, not moving an inch.

"Serena," he said again, "look at me. Look at me please."

Reluctantly, Serena opened her eyes. Ash was staring right at her, his brown eyes the shade of her favorite chocolate and filled with an intensity that mere candy never could hope to match. It was a sight that sent her heart racing.

Ash felt nervous. This was it. There really was no turning back now. And as he stared into her eyes, eyes that were the color of the Southern Sea, eyes so sad and yet so beautiful, he realized that he didn't want to turn back, not for anything.

"Serena, it's true that there's someone I like. That someone," he chuckled, "Serena, it's you." He squeezed both her hands as he said it, hoping to convey some of the warmth he felt.

It took a second for the words to register in Serena's mind. When they did a surge joy came rushing into her heart, melting away her sadness in an instant. "Ash, do you mean it?" Her voice was hopeful but tentative.

Nodding, he said, "Yes. I only realized it yesterday, but yeah, I really do."

"Oh Ash," she said, unable to contain her joy. She let go of his hands and, leaping up from the bed, flung her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. They relaxed into one another, letting the emotional tensions that they'd both felt over the past few days wash away in their embrace.

They were like that for some time, neither willing to break the moment. Looking back on the on it later, neither one of them could clearly say how long they stayed like that or what prompted them to finally let go of one another.

When things finally settled down, Serena was the first one to speak. "So where do we go from here," Serena asked.

"No idea Serena…I was kinda hoping you would know."

Serena just smiled. While Ash may have made a quantum leap in maturity by realizing his feelings and sharing them, it was oddly reassuring to see that in some respects he still had a ways to go. _"Just like me,"_ she realized.

"I guess we'll just have to figure it out together," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, guess so." Ash smiled back, adjusting his hat. "But we should go find the others. They're bound to be wondering how it all turned out."

"You told everyone you were coming to confess to me!" She swatted his arm playfully. "I can't believe it."

"Not exactly, but basically they all knew. Bonnie even wanted to follow and watch."

Serena laughed, shaking her head. "She sure can be a handful sometimes." Getting up, she moved to go. After a few seconds she paused, realizing Ash wasn't with her. Turning, she saw him rummaging through his backpack. After watching him for a few seconds she saw him suddenly halt his efforts, a smile clear on his face. Pulling something out of the bag, he turned and then walked over to her. Serena looked down, smiling as she recognized the object.

Taking the handkerchief that she had returned to him at the start of their journey together, the very one that he'd been so careful to hand wash the night previously, Ash smiled nervously, motioning to her face. "Uh, I cleaned this last night. Do you mind if I…"

Serena's smile broadened even more. "No, I don't mind."

Ash moved slowly, using the handkerchief to gently wipe away the evidence of Serena's tears from her face. Their hearts were both racing at how close they were to one another as Ash completed his work. After a few seconds he lowered his hand, satisfied that he'd gotten the job done. "There, all better."

Both of them were lost in thought for a moment, caught up in both their present closeness and in the memories of a moment like this long ago. Reluctantly, Ash broke eye contact. Smiling, he moved to fold the handkerchief up and replaced it in his bag.

"Hey, remember Brock and Clemont said they wanted to go train. They should be on the field by now. Let's go, I don't want to miss them battle!" Ash turned and began to race out the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something," Serena said, determination in her voice.

Stopping for a second to think, Ash quickly realized what she was getting at. "Oh yeah, my gloves. Thanks," he said, walking back towards his gloves, which he had dropped on the ground soon after he'd first entered the room.

"Not that," she said, gently slapping his arm again. "This." And with that, she placed herself squarely beside him and, reaching out with her left hand, gripped Ash's right hand and interlocked their fingers. Blushing at her boldness, she looked down for a second before glancing back up at Ash. There was confusion on his face for a second, but it quickly morphed into a smile. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. And with that, the two trainers walked hand in hand out to of the room and into the world.

* * *

><p><strong>This is the chapter we were all waiting for and hopefully it turned out well without too many clichés. After the long journey here figured it would be torture if I inserted a cliff hanger in the middle of this. Let's just say I've experienced one too many of those myself. I realize there's a bit of OOCness at a few points in this chapter (Brock is entirely too clever for his own good) but I didn't want to drag us through a few chapters of angst before everything got sorted. <strong>

**It's fitting that this chapter comes on the heels of a big bit of good news. If you don't know what I mean and don't mind some spoilers, check out Bulbapedia. I won't say any more out of respect for people who prefer to be surprised (though I guess I've tipped you off a bit). I'll just say it almost makes me want to jump ahead of the dub…almost.**

**Of course, this chapter isn't the end, but we're in the home stretch. There's still more fluff to come, along with a bump or two in the road. Plus we're due for a showdown between Brock and Grant. It's about time the perennial sidekick gets the spotlight. However, there is another (short) chapter before we get there, which (as you might guess) deals with the aftermath of our hero and heroine getting together. And for you Brock fans out there you'll be happy to know I've (literally just) started on a somewhat short "sequel" to this to give our boy his due. All I'll say is it's Luckshipping.  
><strong>


	14. Bringing Joyful News

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did, we'd actually see (the real) Serena and Ash battle. A somewhat realistic hope I trust._

_"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'"_ -Luke 2:10

* * *

><p>On the battlefield just outside Cyllage City's Pokémon center, two trainers were engaged in a heated battle. Both of them were doing their best to win, a determination shared by their Pokémon partners.<p>

Adjusting his glasses, Clemont smiled. "All right Bunnelby, Mud Shot."

"Carbink, use Harden," commanded Brock. Although Carbink had already taken a number of hits Brock needed to see just how tough the Jewel Pokémon was. Knowing the full extent of its limits would be critical to beating Grant tomorrow.

Bunnleby's attack hit Carbink dead on, doing super effective damage. This was no surprise to Brock; Clemont's Bunnleby had already proved to be both quick and accurate.

"Way to go big brother," chirped Bonnie.

"Alright Carbink use Ancient Power!" Brock had already hurled a number of attacks at Bunnleby, hoping to tire it out somewhat. He'd held this one in reserve, waiting for the right moment. Now seemed as good a time as any; Carbink couldn't take many more hits, even with the extra protection that Harden provided.

Carbink sent a large ball of energy hurtling at the Digging Pokémon. Although the attack was fast, unfortunately for Brock, Bunnelby was faster, dodging it just in time.

The two trainers and Bonnie, intent on the battle, did not notice as their two friends approached. Serena, eager to call attention to their presence and show off her and Ash's new relationship, gave a shout. "Hey everybody!"

The three friends turned and looked, catching sight of Serena and Ash. It took them all a second to realize just what they were looking at. The two new arrivals were standing quite close to another, closer than usual. But when their eyes fell upon Ash and Serena's interlocked hands, all three of their faces lit up.

Bonnie was the quickest to react, whooping in excitement. "Oh yay! It's about time you two. So happy for you!

"Congratulations Ash, Serena," Clemont grinned.

"Yeah, congratulations," said Brock, smile wide. He then fixed his gaze on Ash directly. "This is a big step man." Ash grinned back, nodding in response.

"Thanks guys," Serena said, voice full of happiness and face aglow. "Seriously, all of you thank you. Especially you Brock. I'm sure you had something to do with this," she said, lifting up her and Ash's interlocked hands up for emphasis.

"You bet he did," Ash laughed. "Without his advice and encouragement I'd probably still be clueless about how I felt."

Brock nodded in acknowledgment. "Just remember that when I ask _you_ for some romance advice."

Everyone had a good laugh at this, Ash most of all. "Deal" he smirked.

"Pikapi!" In all the happiness and excitement, the group had totally forgotten about Pikachu. He had been standing next to Bonnie, patiently watching the battle. Now he was turned, facing Ash and Serena, uncertainty evident on his face.

Turning to Serena and nodding, Ash let go of her hand and walked forward a bit. Squatting down, he extend his hand and beckoned. "Come over here buddy."

After a moment's hesitation, Pikachu got down on all fours and dashed over to his trainer. Scooping up Pikachu in his hands, Ash stood back up and lifted Pikachu up, holding him so they were both at eye level.

"Hey buddy, you have nothing to worry about. You're still my number one Pokémon partner and nothing's going to change that."

"Pika!" Pikachu was happy to hear it.

"How about you hang out here buddy," Ash continued, placing Pikachu on his left shoulder. Once Pikachu was secure, Ash stuck out his right hand again. Smiling, Serena took a stride forward and took it with her left, interlacing their fingers once more.

"Alright," said Ash, "now that that's settled, let's see a battle. Hope we didn't miss much!"

"Some things never change do they Ash," said Brock playfully.

"'Course not," Ash said, grin wide.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Serena added, buoyed by Ash's enthusiasm.

At that the two combatants resumed their match. Although Carbink put in an admirable effort, Bunnleby's Speed was just too much to handle and before long it fainted. The next matchup however proved to be a completely different story.

Brock had called Forrest just after lunch and managed to cajole him into sending over Steelix. It had taken some doing, but when Brock had explained how "the pride of the Pewter City Gym was on the line" Forrest had caved.

Steelix's appearance on the battlefield was a shock to everyone, especially Clemont. However, though Steelix's size was intimidating, he resolved to fight on; Bunnelby's Ground type moves would be super effective after all. Though this reasoning was sound it didn't work out so well. While Bunnelby was fast, Steelix was able to keep up. What's more, Steelix was also quite powerful and easily endured a number of Bunnelby's attacks before unleashing a few devastating ones of its own. In the end, Bunnelby couldn't endure the onslaught and the victory went to Brock.

Returning Bunnelby, Clemont sighed. Gripping Chespin's Pokeball, he hurled it at the battlefield. He honestly wasn't sure how the young Pokémon would fare against such an experienced and obviously powerful opponent, but certainly he would do better than Dedenne.

"Chespin!" the Spiny Nut Pokémon exclaimed, excited for battle. Noticing that it was completely engulfed by shadow, Chespin turned and looked up. Realizing the immense size of its opponent, Chespin made a squeak. Turning, it dashed over to Clemont and gripped his leg as if its life depended on it.

"Chespin," Clemont said, exasperation clear, "get in there and battle!"

"Ches Ches," the Grass type said, shaking its head. Clearly it had no intention of battling.

"Don't worry Clemont, we can call the match off. Carbink and I may have some more work to do, but I'm sure Steelix is ready for tomorrow."

Nodding his thanks, Clemont turned down to Chespin. "This isn't over Chespin. We're going to have to work on your bravery." The irony of this statement was not lost on the fair haired Gym Leader.

"Ches," Clemont's partner murmured sheepishly.

Clemont then returned Chespin to its Pokeball and replaced it in his pocket. "Thanks for the match Brock."

"Likewise Clemont. So," said Brock smiling, "How about the happy couple battles next?"

Ash smiled. "All right, great! Yeah Serena," he said, turning his head to face the girl beside him, "Let's battle!"

"Uh Ash, I'm not sure I'm ready to battle you. I mean, after everything that's happened today…" Her voice trailed off, but the hesitation in her voice told Ash all he needed to know.

"No need to worry," Ash responded. "We don't have to have a battle…let's just do some training. I think it'd be a great opportunity for you and Fennekin to get stronger."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense," Serena reluctantly conceded. Ash's determination to work hard and win was one of the things she admired about him…but it'd never been directed against her before. She was a bit nervous.

Ash smiled and, letting go of her hand, walked over to the trainer's box on the far side of the battlefield while she shuffled to the one on the near side. Brock and Clemont joined Bonnie on the sidelines, with Brock positioning himself a bit closer to Serena, figuring he would help supplement Ash's advice.

"Alright Fennekin, come on out," Serena said, tossing her Pokeball onto the battlefield.

"Pikachu buddy, you sit this one out, alright?" Pikachu nodded and hopped off Ash's shoulder, positioning himself next to the Kanto trainer. Louder he said, "Froakie, I choose you!"

"Froakie!"

"Alright Froakie, we're going up against Serena and Fennekin. We're going to help them train to get better. It's not an actual battle, okay?"

"Fro," the Bubble Frog Pokémon said, a bit disappointed that it wouldn't get to display its full potential. Still, helping out a friend was important.

"Alright Serena, call out some attacks. We'll start by trying to dodge, alright?"

"Sure Ash," Serena smiled. "Okay Fennekin, let's get started with Ember."

Fennekin launched its Ember attack straight at Froakie. The Water type dodged easily.

"Ember again!"

Fennekin responded more quickly this time, eager to score a hit and impress her trainer…and maybe a certain Electric type as well. While the attack was stronger and covered a wider arc, Froakie was still able to dodge, this time leaping up and over the attack. Serena and Fennekin launched another series of attacks. While they varied the exact attack, the results were always the same: Ash's speedy Pokémon was able to avoid them all.

"Alright Froakie, great job!" Ash was clearly impressed with his Pokémon dodging.

"Froakie," the Water type responded, basking in both its own success and its trainer's praise.

Serena and Fennekin on the other hand were both getting frustrated. They both knew Froakie was fast…but to miss so many times was hard to take.

"Serena," Brock called, "you're never going to be able to hit Froakie from so far away. You're going to have to send Fennekin in closer."

"He's right Serena," Ash said nodding. "You might be able to improve the Speed and Accuracy of your attacks over time, but right now getting in close is the only way you're going to get us."

"Alright Fennekin, get closer to Froakie and hit it with Flamethrower!"

"Fenne," the Fox Pokémon responded. While she wasn't particularly eager to get that close to another Pokémon in battle, her determination to win and to please Serena overcame this aversion. Charging forward, Fennekin aimed straight at Froakie and let loose a torrent of flames.

"Alright Froakie, use Double Team!"

Suddenly Fennekin wheeled to a halt. She was surrounded by Froakie duplicates with no idea which one was real.

"Fennekin use Flame…" Serena started, then stopped. Flamethrower was a powerful move and took a lot out of Fennekin. If it hit the actual Froakie it would do okay damage, but if it only hit duplicates all that energy would go to waste. She needed to find the real one with the minimum amount of effort. "Fennekin, use Ember on all of them!"

"Kin!" The Fire type launched an Ember attack while trotting in a small circle, shooting small bursts of flame as she went. This dispersed all the fakes and making contact with the real thing.

"Great call Serena," Ash shouted. Bonnie, Clemont, and Brock added cheers of their own from the sideline.

Blushing at Ash's praise, Serena smiled. "Alright Fennekin, now run right at Froakie and use Flamethrower!"

Before Froakie could react Fennekin began to charge. But instead of waiting to unleash flames, Fennekin seemed to be coating her body in flames as she ran straight at Froakie. Froakie, surprised at the sight, waited just a second too long. As a result, Fennekin was able to catch it as it tried to leap away, connecting with Froakie midair and sending it hurtling backwards.

"Fenne," she shouted happily.

"Great work Fennekin!"

"That was awesome," Ash said, "Fennekin just learned Flame Charge."

"Flame Charge," Serena and Bonnie asked simultaneously.

"Flame Charge is a powerful move that increases a Fire type Pokémon's Speed," Brock explained. "It combines the elements of a Tackle attack with fire to make a powerful combination."

"Wow Fennekin, you learned a new attack. That's great!" Serena gushed with praise, proud of her Pokémon partner.

"Fro," the Water type barked, recovering from the hit. It put up its arms, gathering a blue ball to itself.

"No Froakie," Ash shouted, but it was too late; Froakie let loose a Water Pulse attack.

"Quick Fennekin, dodge," shouted Serena.

Ordinarily Fennekin wouldn't have been able to dodge in time, but the extra Speed she had gained from Flame Charge gave just enough of a boost that she was able to leap out of the way in time.

"Froakie, what'd you do that for," Ash said, exasperated. "I didn't tell you to launch an attack."

"Fro," it responded defiantly. While a caring Pokémon it also had its pride.

"Look, I get that you're upset you got hit, but this isn't a battle, it's training. Besides, even if it was a battle, wait until I call an attack, alright?"

"Fro," the Water type murmured dejectedly, sad at having betrayed its trainer's trust.

"No need to worry buddy, just remember that we're a team. You can trust me, right?"

"Froakie," it responded, confidence restored.

"You know Ash, this is kind of fun," Serena called over. "Can we keep going?"

Ash's smile was bright; seeing Serena enjoying a battle brought real joy to his heart. "Awesome! Alright, since Froakie wants to attack, let's get working on Fennekin's ability to dodge. Sound good?"

"Sure, but go easy at first, Water type moves are super effective against Fennekin. And even with boosted Speed we're just not as fast as you and Froakie."

Ash smiled. "Got it. Okay Froakie, let's get started."

The group practiced together for another hour or so, with all four trainers getting involved. After calling it quits and depositing their Pokémon with Nurse Joy for some healing, the friends decided to sit in the Pokémon Center's lobby while they waited. While the others found seats easily enough, Ash wasn't quite sure what to do now that he and Serena were together. Instead he just stood, hands linked to her, eyes darting back and forth between her and the various empty chairs.

After waiting a bit to see if Ash would do anything, Serena sighed and gently pulled him over to a loveseat, where they took seats side by side. At first Ash was unsure of whether he should do anything else, but when Serena put one of her arms around him and (after removing her hat) placed her head on his shoulder, he decided to mirror her actions, wrapping his arm around her back and leaning his head on hers. The rest of the friends stared at the couple, smiling at the sight. After a few minutes of idle chatter, Brock spoke up, a devious expression in his eyes.

"As much as I hate to break up this cute scene," Brock started, motioning to Ash and Serena, both of whom blushed at this, "I think you should call home Ash."

"Uh, that's a funny thing to say Brock," Ash started. "I mean, I did just email mom a few days ago."

"True," Brock said, grinning broadly, "but certain things have changed since then, things I think your mother would be _very_ interested to hear about."

Both Serena and Ash blushed even deeper at this. Smiling at this, Brock continued. "Consider it partial repayment for a job well done in helping the both of you."

"What exactly does he mean by that?" Ash asked Serena. Before Serena could respond though, Ash turned and looked Brock square in the face.

"So you were helping us both huh? That means you knew she liked me the whole time?" He looked at Brock with confusion and a hint of anger.

"Now now Ash, there's plenty of time to talk about good ol' Brock later," he smiled. "Now you two run off and make that call."

Turning and looking at Serena, Ash sighed and nodded. "He's right, mom would definitely want to hear about this. Might as well do it now," he conceded. "Unless you don't…"

"No Ash, it's fine. In fact, I can't wait to meet her!"

Reluctantly they broke their embrace and stood. "But," and at this he turned to face Brock, "Don't think this conversation is over," Ash said in mostly mock anger. He then turned to face everyone. "Catch you all in a bit," Ash said.

The young couple waved goodbye to their friends and then walked over to the video phones. While incorporating the most modern technology available, Kalos' video phones also contained cosmetic elements that conveyed an elegance reminiscent of a more civilized age. As he placed the call Ash felt a sudden pressure on his hand. Looking down he saw Serena's hand gripping his tightly. Looking back up, he caught a bit of tension on her face.

"Nervous," he asked chuckling.

"Of course," she said. _"As if he had to ask."_ Knowing Ash though, he probably did. Aloud she continued. "I really want to make a good impression on her."

"Don't worry, mom's going to love you!"

Suddenly the tone sounded indicating that the other end had picked up. Both turned their attention to the screen. The sight that greeted them was surprising, at least to Serena. Staring back at them was a pale white face with wide circular eyes and enormous round pink cheeks. _"That can't be Ash's mom, can it?"_

"Hey Mr. Mime, how's everything?" Ash smiled at the sight of his mother's long-time companion.

"Mime Mime Mime," the Barrier Pokémon responded, happy to see Ash's face.

"Can you go get mom?"

Bleating the affirmative, Mr. Mime disappeared from the screen. Realization growing, Serena turned to look at Ash. "So that was some sort of Pokémon right?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded, turning to her. "It has been with mom since just before I left for the Orange Islands. Professor Oak's always been good about checking in on her and she has the restaurant, but it's really been great for her to have someone in the house to keep her company and help out with the chores."

"Ash, so good to see you," a dulcet voice sounded through the phone. Both turned their attention back to the phone. Staring back at them was an auburn-haired woman with a winning smile. While she couldn't be sure, Serena guessed that she was around the same age as her own mother. She also noted that, while Ash's mom's skin was somewhat fairer than her son's, their eyes were the same shade of dark brown. She was, Serena observed, quite a beauty.

"Hi mom, how's everything?"

"Wonderful! It's so great to hear from you Ash! I got your email, congratulations on winning your Gym battle."

"Thanks mom, it wasn't easy but Pikachu and the rest of my team pulled through in the end."

"I'm so glad! So did you end up meeting up with Brock? He called to tell me he would be visiting you."

"Yeah, he's actually here in the Pokémon Center right now. We just finished some training and I thought it would be a good time to call."

"Great! Now who's this young lady Ash," Ash's mom said, tone turning playful. "Aren't you going to introduce me? I'm sure I taught you better manners than that."

"Mom," Ash groaned. Catching his breath, he continued. "This is the girl I mentioned before, Serena. She's the one I met way back at Pokémon Summer Camp. She's been traveling with me along with Clemont and Bonnie."

Recognition dawned on Delia's face. "Now I recognize you Serena. When Ash mentioned he was traveling with a girl from that camp I thought it might be you."

"What do you mean," both of them asked simultaneously.

Chuckling at this joint response, Delia continued. "Well, when Ash mentioned you it jogged my memory. The last day of camp all the parents were invited to the closing ceremony. You stuck to Ash like glue the whole time. I still remember the look on your face when your mother said it was time to go."

Serena blushed at this. After the incident in the woods she had tried to be around Ash as much as possible, though he was more interested in running after Pokémon or getting into fights with some spiky-haired boy whose name she couldn't quite remember.

"Mom, you're embarrassing the both of us," Ash started.

"Well young man," she started in a mock serious tone, "it's about time you found someone to take care of you. You and Serena looked so cute together that day it made me wish that I had brought my camera."

Ash chuckled nervously. "Uh, well mom, that's kind of why I called. You see, Serena…well," at this he lifted their intertwined hands into the camera's line of sight, "she's my girlfriend now."

Serena watched Delia's expression nervously. At first her mouth dropped, shock evident; despite her previous jest, in all seriousness this was the last thing she had expected to hear. Yet Serena received a shock herself when Delia's expression of shock instantaneously transitioned into what can only be described as a look of pure joy.

"Oh my baby, you're growing up! I'm so proud of you," Delia gushed, clapping her hands together. Turning to Serena, she continued, "And Serena, let me apologize for my son. I'm sure he didn't make it easy on you. My Ash may be great at a lot of things, but sharing his feelings just isn't one of them."

At this Serena chuckled. "Yeah, you've got that right. It hasn't been easy believe me, but he was actually the one that confessed his feelings first. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. But now that we're together it's all water under the bridge."

"You both have made me so happy! Oh and Serena, I also apologize in advance for all the trouble I'm sure he's bound to put you through in the future. Now, if you'd like, I can let you know what to look out for and tell you just how to keep my Ash as happy as a Clamperl."

"Mom," Ash exclaimed, once again embarrassed by his mother's antics.

"See you later Ash, and don't forget to…"

"Mom, not in front of Serena!" He knew for a fact she was about to remind him to change his underwear.

"Alright dear, bye-bye," Delia said. Turning to Serena, she continued. "Now Serena, I know my son can be a handful, so you should be sure to…"

Ash, knowing when he was beaten, slunk back towards his friends as Serena began to chat animatedly with his mother.

"Where's Serena Ash," Brock said. The mirth in his tone gave Ash the impression that he very well knew what was going on.

"Somehow you knew this was going to happen," Ash said, shaking his finger.

"Yeah, I had a feeling your mom might have a thing or two she wanted to say to her son's girlfriend in private."

"You could have given me a heads up," he muttered, flopping down on the loveseat. Pikachu jumped up to join Ash. While he may not have understood exactly what was going on, it seemed like his trainer could use some comfort.

"Now Ash," Brock chortled, "where would the fun be in that?"

"What's going on," Bonnie said. "What's Serena up to?"

"Don't worry Bonnie," smiled Brock, "Ash's mom is just giving Serena some instructions on how to best 'take care' of Ash. I'm sure you're planning to do the same once you succeed in finding a wife for Clemont."

"Brock, not you too," Clemont griped. The last thing he wanted was for Bonnie to get the idea that her search for a wife for him was normal or acceptable behavior.

Ignoring her brother, Bonnie ruffled through her bag and pulled out a piece of paper. "Of course Brock, I've already got a list of things prepared. Want to hear it?"

"Bonnie!"

* * *

><p><strong>A thousand apologies for being quite late with this...so two chapters today! And special thanks to Fallen Phoneix of Berk for letting me know I accidentally overwrote Chapter 11 with the wrong file; proper Chapter 11 is restored. <strong>

**While it is true I've been busy the past few weeks with a number of things (including good progress on a Luckshipping sequel to this story and playing a certain new game) I definitely could have posted sooner.**

**While we're winding down, there's definitely more fluff and some action yet to come. I couldn't resist throwing Ash under the bus; the prospect of Serena and Delia "plotting" was just too compelling to leave out. My Brock has a bit of a prankster in him, a trait I'll freely admit is not really present in canon. Considering maturity removes the main source of Brock-related comedy though (and comedy truly is one of the things that makes him a good character) this is the best replacement I could come up with. And it's just fun to write honestly. **

**Hope you enjoy next chapter's battle. While most of the focus will thus be on Brock and Grant, there will still be some Amourshipping moments.**

**I snuck in another (adapted) quote from Star Wars.**


	15. Iron Sharpening Iron

14. As Iron Sharpens Iron

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did we'd see Ash go head to head with Alain in a battle of X v. Y Mega Charizards. Maybe I'm reading into things too much, but it is interesting that Charizard reappeared towards the end of B&W and that, of all the Mega Evolutions they could make the focus of those Mega Evolution specials they just happened to pick Charizard_._ Merrin even mentions Ash to Alain._

_"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."_ Proverbs 27:17

* * *

><p>As they strode up to the Cyllage City Gym the next morning, everyone was in a good mood. Serena and Ash were finally together and both were quite happy about it. They were however still somewhat tentative about their new relationship, trying to figure out exactly how to act with one another. Half the time they behaved as if nothing had changed; the other half the time they shot one another sneaking glances and felt a bit tongue-tied.<p>

Ordinarily Brock would have found humor in this awkward dance, but his excitement and nervousness about the upcoming battle consumed his thoughts. It had been some time since he'd been in a serious match and he knew he was a bit rusty. As a result, he spent most of the walk in silence, focusing on some last minute mental strategizing.

In contrast to their friends Clemont and Bonnie maintained a steady conversation the entire way to the Gym, chatting amiably about the upcoming battle. Bonnie gushed with enthusiasm about all the "cool things" she hoped to see while Clemont focused his remarks on strategy and technical detail. The conversation, much like the siblings' relationship, was combination of very different perspectives and personalities that just plain worked...most of the time.

After making it up the hill they entered the Gym and found Grant eagerly waiting for them. After the disappointment of two days ago, Serena had insisted that they call the Cyllage Gym Leader and double-check his availability before they even left the Pokémon Center.

Smiling at his friends, Grant greeted the group. "Welcome back. Hope you are all looking forward to a good battle. I know I am."

"Me too," replied Brock. "Ash tells me that you usually have challengers climb the wall," he said, motioning to the artificial mound behind Grant.

"It's not a strict requirement, but yes, I do make that request. But I accept official challenges either way. Considering this isn't an official match…"

"Of course I'll be climbing," Brock said. "The pride of the Pewter Gym is on the line after all."

"Well in that case," smiled Grant, "I'll see you at the top." With that the Gym leader turned and began to scale the wall.

"We'll meet you guys there," Clemont said, fixing a pointed glare at Bonnie. He hadn't let her climb the wall when Ash had battled here and he saw no reason to let her climb it now. Getting the message, she huffed and began to follow Clemont in the direction of the elevator.

Serena turned to go as well but didn't get more than a step before her left hand encountered resistance. Ash remained firmly rooted in place, his grip preventing her from leaving. Turning, she caught his gaze. There was a determined look in his face. Noticing he had her attention, he smiled and gestured with a jerk of his head, indicating that he wanted her to make the climb.

"Oh no Ash, I don't think…" she started, fear evident.

"Of course you can Serena. We'll do it together!"

"Okay, if you say so…" She sounded hesitant but didn't want to let Ash down.

Brock had been about to get started after Grant when he overheard their conversation. Turning around, he decided to encourage Serena as well. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. It'll be hard I'm sure, but Ash's right, you can do it!"

"Okay, let's go then," she said, determination on her face. With that she marched over to the wall and gripped the first hand hold.

"Hold on there," Brock cautioned. "You should let Ash and I go first."

Serena was miffed by this. "Why? Worried that I'll go too slow, huh?"

"Yeah Brock," Ash added, "isn't it 'ladies first?'"

"Sure Ash, ordinarily it would be. But there are other, practical things to consider." With that Brock turned and looked straight at Serena. Catching her gaze, he put his hands on his hips and, with an exaggerated motion, patted his hands against them a few times.

Serena looked down at her own legs and instantly caught Brock's meaning. Blushing, she replied, "Oh…right." Turning to her boyfriend she said, "Brock's right, you guys go first."

"I don't get it." Ash always tried to do the right thing, but in this case he was at a loss as to the reason behind it.

Brock shook his head at another example of Ash's density. "Let's just say that next time you're planning on asking Serena to go climbing, give her a heads up so she can dress a bit more appropriately. That is, if you want to insist she goes first."

"What do you mean?" Ash took a look at Serena's outfit. She was wearing her usual clothes, pink hat, black top, red skirt… "Oh," Ash said, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Yeah, uh…" he trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"Don't worry Ash, besides I probably _will_ be a lot slower than the rest of you anyways." Serena smiled, glad that she hadn't had to actually spell it out for him…at least, not this time. Sighing, she took off her hat and, calling Bonnie over, handed it to her. As the boys began to climb Serena removed her hair tie and, moving her fingers deftly, gathered up her dirty blonde locks and bound them in a tight bun. Clenching her fist in determination, she strode over to the wall and began to climb.

By the time the trio got going, Grant was already well ahead. Having advantage of both being the designer of the wall and a frequent climber, Grant reached the top before Ash and Brock even made it halfway. The two Kanto natives finished roughly the same time a few minutes later. Serena however lagged behind; as Brock and Ash were setting foot on the summit, Serena was still struggling midway up the wall.

About three quarters of the way up Serena came to a halt. Her pace had been slowing over the past minute or two, but it was only now that she stopped altogether.

"I don't think I can go any further," Serena moaned. "Somebody help me!"

"Serena, don't give up until the end," Ash said. Part of him wanted to race down and somehow help her…but the rest of him knew that this was, quite literally, a wall she needed to climb on her own. It was still really hard for him to watch, harder than he would have thought. _"Guess that comes with being a boyfriend rather than just a friend,"_ he thought.

Ash's encouraging tone drew Serena's eyes upward. Catching her gaze, he continued. "You're almost there. Just keep climbing!" The others joined in, giving their shouts of encouragement. Gritting her teeth, Serena moved her leg up to the next handhold and pushed herself further up the rock face. "_I have to do this, I have to get stronger. Not just for Ash, not just for my friends…but for myself and for Fennekin too."_

It was still slow going, but she was again making upward progress. A few minutes later, with a finally huff of exertion, she pushed herself up over the edge onto the battlefield, gasping for breath and face red with effort. Ash caught her hands and gave her the support she needed to pull herself the rest of the way up. Standing and dusting herself off, she looked to her gathered friends, embarrassed at having taken so long.

Suddenly Ash began clapping and the others quickly joined in. Embarrassed by the attention, Serena blushed and waved off the applause.

"I don't know what you guys are clapping about," she started, "I'm the last one to finish."

"But you did finish," Grant responded, "despite a very difficult climb. In fact, I'd venture to say you got more out of it than the rest of us put together. So congratulations!"

Serena didn't know what to say, so she just gave a shallow bow in response. Ash smiled and, putting his hand in hers, led her off to the sideline. After the couple reached their friends, Serena retrieved her hat from Bonnie and began to put her hair back in its usual style. Brock meanwhile turned to face Grant.

"How does a two-on-two battle sound Grant? No time limit and substitutions are allowed."

"Sounds fine to me," Grant smiled.

The two competitors took their places on the battlefield. Although it wasn't an official challenge, there was still a referee present. After the referee's brief recitation of the agreed upon rules, the two competitors each took out a Pokeball.

Grant led off. "Onix, let's go."

Brock smiled. "I thought you would do that. Let's see how you handle this. Steelix, let's go!"

With a shimmer of light, two enormous snakelike Pokémon emerged. The spectators sighed in anticipation. The wait had been frustrating, but now it seemed like it would be worth it. This was sure to be an epic battle.

"Steelix, let's start out with Autotomize," Brock called it. This was sure to be a long battle; starting off with a stat boosting move now could mean the difference between victory or defeat later.

"Onix, use Rock Polish," commanded Grant.

"That's a good call on your part Grant. Speed is going to be key to winning this matchup." Brock shouted across the field.

"Thanks. And you're right, so that's a good move on your part as well."

Turning to his Pokémon, Brock called out his next attack. "Alright Steelix, hit it with Dragon Breath."

As Steelix began to power up its attack, standing on the sidelines Serena voiced her confusion. "I don't get it, Steelix and Onix look about the same to me. Why is Grant at a disadvantage?"

"Cuz Steelix is a Steel type, and as a Rock type Onix is weak to Steel type moves," Ash responded, not taking his eyes off the battle.

"It's not just that," added Clemont, "Steelix is the evolved form of Onix. That alone gives it an advantage."

"Not always Clemont," Ash responded. "Back in Kanto Pikachu and I beat a Raichu to get my Thunder Badge. And that's far from the only time I've seen something like that happen."

"Wow, I guess there's really a lot more I have to learn about Pokémon and battling," Serena commented.

"Guys," Bonnie whined, "All this talking is distracting me. I wanna watch the battle!"

"Bonnie," Clemont scolded. "Ash's just trying to help Serena."

Bonnie turned from the battle to look at her friends. Bowing in contrition she said, "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited about watching the battle…"

"That's alright Bonnie," Serena said. "I understand how things can get when you care about something." At this she glanced sideways at Ash.

Noticing Serena's gaze, Ash blushed slightly and nodded. Chuckling nervously, he turned his full attention back to the battle.

The two opposing Pokémon had already traded some ranged attacks, but now Steelix was trying to come in close and wrap around Onix in a Bind attack. Knowing that Onix's rock skin would not hold up very well against Steelix's impenetrable metal coat, Grant was having it avoid contact with the Iron Snake Pokémon. But, given the dimensions of the two Pokémon and the size of the battlefield, this could only go on for so long.

"Onix's Speed is a tough wall to climb, isn't it Brock," Grant smiled bemusedly as the pursuit continued.

"Maybe, but I've already climbed one wall in this Gym. You and Onix can't run forever Grant," Brock said. "Steelix, use Autotomize again!"

"Onix and I don't need forever Brock. We just need long enough." It was an enigmatic comment to say the least.

"I wonder what Grant has planned," mused Clemont aloud.

While Serena was eager to know the Cyllage City Gym leader's strategy, another concern was more pressing. "Why do they keep talking to each other like that," Serena asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. "It seems kind of a weird way to battle."

"Grant did this during my battle with him" said Ash. "Gym leaders are supposed to teach challengers as well as battle. And, though he's not a Gym leader anymore, Brock is still super serious about that."

Before anyone else could respond, a sudden flurry of moment grabbed the attention of the four spectators. The inevitable had finally occurred; Steelix had cornered Onix and was coiled up, ready to launch an attack. Brock's repeated use of Autotomize had significantly boosted Steelix's Speed; furthermore, Onix had been slowing over the past minute and was looking quite fatigued. It looked like Brock's patience was finally going to pay off.

"Gotcha! Steelix, quick wrap around that Onix, then Bind!"

As Steelix charged, Onix and Grant both remained motionless.

"What is Grant doing," Serena said, concern evident. "Shouldn't he have Onix dodge?" But the others had no answer for her.

As Steelix was almost upon Onix, Grant finally spoke. It was a simple word, issued with all the calmness and determination that the four friends had come to expect from Cyllage City's Gym leader.

"Now!"

At this command, Onix, who had been curled at the edge of the platform, suddenly sprang up and to the side, twisting out of Steelix's way with a celerity that made it clear that its earlier display of fatigue had been an act. Brock shouted for Steelix to turn back, but its forward momentum was much too great. The Steel type instead went hurtling off the battlefield, heading straight for the artificial waterfall on the battlefield's side.

"No," screamed Brock, immediately conscious of what was about to happen but unable to do anything to stop it. Steelix had hated water ever since it was an Onix. While its evolution had diminished its physical weakness to the substance, it had in no way lessened its mental aversion. Brock watched helplessly as Steelix impacted the wall behind the waterfall with a resounding thud and then dropped to the plunge pool below, much to the dismay of the spectators. The sound of the massive Pokémon's impact in the water made a gigantic whoosh, sending water hurtling into the air in every direction.

For a moment Steelix lay motionless in the water. Then, with a suddenness that took even Brock by surprise, the Steel type sprang up into the air, clearly eager to get out of water as quickly as possible.

Knowing that there was no way Steelix could jump high enough to make it all the way back up to the battlefield, Brock pulled out its Pokeball and extended his arm. He aimed carefully for, while Steelix was quite large, it was also far away. When he judged the moment right Brock triggered the Pokeball.

"Steelix, return" Brock called out. The red beam from the Pokeball hit the Iron Snake Pokémon, converting it back to energy and pulling it back inside. Turning back towards his opponent, Brock nodded his head.

"Well played. That was some feint."

Grant smiled. "Well, I have to admit that this wasn't the first time I've pulled that trick."

Brock laughed. "Well you won't fool us again. Steelix, let's finish this!" With this statement Brock flung his Pokeball, causing Steelix to reemerge on the battlefield. After fully materializing, Steelix let out a mighty roar, clearly angered by the unfortunate turn and eager to rectify its mistake. But it was equally clear that Steelix's tumble had caused it to suffer some serious damage.

"Onix, use Rock Tomb."

As rocks began to swirl around Onix, Brock considered his next move. Although the move wouldn't be that effective against a Steel type, given Onix's strength and the amount of damage Steelix had suffered it might pay to be careful. _"Unless…"_ With that Brock chuckled to himself. He was definitively drawing from Ash's playbook with this next idea, but given what had just happened it would be the last thing Grant would expect.

"Steelix, Autotomize once more and then go get that Onix!"

As Steelix powered up its Speed once more, on the sidelines Serena expressed concern.

"Not again! Didn't Brock learn his lesson?"

"'Course he did Serena," Ash smiled. "Steelix won't fall for the same trick twice. Besides, keeping up that Rock Tomb will slow Onix down!"

As they watched, Steelix finished powering up its move and then hurled straight at Onix, plowing through a number of stones and taking some damage as it went.

"Alright Onix, now dodge it again," Grant called.

Onix began to move out of the way, but before it could it felt the impact of Steelix's head on its torso and went hurtling into the ground, dazed by the impact. Before Onix could recover Steelix began to wrap its serpentine body around the fallen Rock Pokémon.

Grant gritted his teeth. Although hardly ideal, he could only see one way out of this. Steelix had already taken a good amount of damage…

"Alright Onix, you wrap yourself around Steelix as well."

Recovering from its momentary daze, Onix responded to the call of its trainer. The two snakelike Pokémon, one Rock, one Steel, coiled themselves around one another in a pose reminiscent of Asclepius' Rod. After a few moments the two Pokémon were completely entwined, each squeezing the other as hard as it could.

"Wow," exclaimed Clemont. "This is going to be a real test of will and endurance."

"Come on Steelix, you can do it," Bonnie shouted enthusiastically.

"Look at Brock's face," Serena said softly, pointing to the dark skinned Kanto native.

Her three friends turned their gaze in that direction. Brock's face was screwed up in intense concentration. It was clear that this was not just a trial of endurance for Steelix; Brock was also being put to the test. Shifting their gazes to Grant, they saw the same look of determination on his face. Trainers and Pokémon were both under incredible strain.

Several moments passed with neither Pokémon able to gain a clear advantage. While time would ordinarily be on Steelix's side, the amount of damage it had suffered made it unclear which Pokémon was likely to give in first. Each trainer's gaze was constantly switching back and forth between the two combatants, looking for any sign, however small, that might indicate one of the Pokémon was beginning to buckle.

Finally, Brock decided it was time to act. Once again it would be risky, but at this point he had to go for broke. "It's been a great match so far Grant. The way you and Onix battled brought back a lot of good memories, memories of the Gym Battles I fought with Steelix back when it was an Onix. But now I think it's time to end this. Alright Steelix, let go of Onix's head and then let's finish it off with Dragon Breath." The two Pokémon, completely entwined as they were, had ended up with their heads side by side in such a way that neither would be able to fire off a ranged attack.

Seeing that Brock had changed the terms of engagement, Grant quickly reacted. "You let go of its head as well and then use Flash Cannon with all you have!"

The two Pokémon unwound the uppermost parts of their bodies from one another and then leaned back, positioning for one final attack. While any attack at this close range would damage its user as well as the intended target, if one of the Pokémon could get an attack off first it just might be enough to knock the other out.

It wasn't meant to be. Although Brock had issued his attack first and Steelix's Speed was quite high, it wasn't fast enough. As Dragon Breath hurtled towards Onix, Grant's Pokémon was able to let loose its response. The two attacks collided midair, causing a tremendous explosion that whose aftereffects obscured everyone's vision. Before the smoke fully cleared Steelix and Onix both began to list quite heavily and then toppled completely over. The referee called out what was already obvious; both Pokémon had been knocked out simultaneously.

After thanking their Pokémon, both Grant and Brock recalled them back to their Pokeballs. They then turned and faced one another across the battlefield. Although Brock and Grant presented calm exteriors, inside both of them were somewhat nervous.

"Brock I must say I am impressed. Your Steelix has been raised quite well. I would expect nothing less of a Harrison, especially one with your level of breeding experience. But raising a Pokémon well is only part of being a trainer. It's clear that your battling skills are rusty. You're going to need to do better if you hope to scale this last wall. Now let me introduce my next Pokémon."

With a toss of his Pokeball Grant's Tyrunt materialized on the stage. Thanks to Ash's account of his Gym Battle and some research on the Internet the other day, Brock was familiar with the Royal Heir Pokémon. But, as was always the case, reading about something online was one thing; seeing it in person was quite another. Staring at the opposing Pokémon, Brock couldn't help but be impressed by its well-muscled physique and its obvious determination to battle hard.

"You're right Grant, it won't be an easy wall to climb" Brock nodded. "I do want to win. But having a good battle and bonding with my Pokémon is important too, which is why this will be my next Pokémon." With that Brock wordlessly tossed his Dusk Ball, causing Carbink to materialize.

Grant smiled. "I understand. Carbink can only be found here in the Kalos Region, so you must have just caught it. But as a Fairy type you have quite the advantage over my Dragon type Tyrunt."

"That's right," nodded Brock. "We may be a new team, but you won't be able to beat us easily."

"Well in that case, I look forward to seeing just how well the two of you work together."

For a moment there was silence as the two opposing teams stared at one another. The faces of the two trainers were impassive, betraying nothing. The Pokémon however were a completely different story. Tyrunt snorted and stomped loudly, clearly eager to begin. Carbink, while small, was visibly trembling, clearly a bit nervous at facing such a fearsome looking opponent. Brock noticed his Pokémon's anxiety and hoped that it would disappear once the battle was joined.

"The honor of the first move is yours Brock," Grant shouted, voice breaking the silence.

Brock smiled. "Alright Carbink, use Harden!"

"Okay Tyrunt, in that case let's start with Rock Tomb."

Rocks began to swirl around Tyrunt at a rapid speed. After a few moments, they began to fly in Carbink's direction. As the rocks began to impact the battlefield, it quickly became clear that Carbink's size would be an advantage. Most of the stones hit the ground harmlessly and the few that did manage to find their mark were small enough that they did little damage.

"That can't be that effective of an attack," Serena observed. "I mean, Carbink's a Rock type too and it's so small that most of the rocks are missing."

"True," Clemont agreed, "and the type matchup is clearly in Brock's favor. His Carbink doesn't actually know any Fairy type attacks, but as a Fairy type it will be completely immune to Tyrunt's Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor."

"Oh wow," Serena exclaimed. "Those are two of Tyrunt's most powerful attacks. That means Brock has a really good chance to win this."

Ash nodded. "But don't forget what I said before Serena, type isn't everything. Pikachu and I've proved that over and over. And that Tyrunt is really strong and Brock knows it."

"Okay Carbink," Brock shouted over the noise of the falling Rocks, "let's go on the offensive. Use Ancient Power!"

"Car," Brock's Pokémon responded. Charging up the attack, it hurtled a green orb in Tyrunt's direction. As the attack streaked across the battlefield, it encountered a number of falling rocks, which diminished its power.

"Dodge that, and then keep up the Rock Tomb."

Tyrunt reminded Ash and his friends of its incredible Speed by deftly avoiding Carbink's attack, leaping out of the way while keeping up the flood of rocks. Carbink hurtled several more orbs Tyrunt's way. Most were dodged and the few that did connect had been diminished in power by having to first travel through the constant barrage of stone raining down from above.

"_Reminds me a bit of Counter Shield,"_ Brock mused. Time was not on his side either. While each individual rock wasn't doing that much damage, given enough time it would wear Carbink down. He would need to move it closer…but getting too close would be risky. If Tyrunt could get Carbink in its jaws, it might be able to send it hurtling into the watery depths below and he wasn't about to let that happen to another one of his Pokémon. On the other hand it could be a replay of Ash's victory; Carbink might be too large to fit in Tyrunt's jaw, in which case getting in close could be to Brock's advantage. _"And I'll bet Grant knows exactly what scenario would play out. Carbink are native to Kalos so he's probably has faced them before."_ Brock resolved he would only give it a try if it looked like he had no other options.

"Alright Carbink, get a bit closer and use Rock Throw!"

Carbink responded, moving cautiously forward, hurling large rocks as it went.

Grant smiled. "Alright Tyrunt, jump up and use Dragon Tail to send those rocks right back at it!"

Needing no further encouragement, Tyrunt leapt into the air. Tail flashing green, it then began to bat rocks in Carbink's direction, making use of both stones left over from Rock Tomb and rocks from Carbink's Rock Throw attack. Despite having been warned of Tyrunt's jumping ability, Brock was still shocked by the height, duration, and speed of Tyrunt's leaps.

Over the next few minutes both Pokémon kept the barrage up, with Tyrunt constantly jumping up and down while Carbink weaved back and forth to dodge the deflected missiles. Although the majority of rocks were either deflected or dodged, some did hit home. This damage, combined with the exertion that all this movement required, began to take their toll on both Pokémon.

Both trainers knew that their Pokémon were nearing their limit, but it was Brock who saw his opening first. Tyrunt's leaps were getting progressively less high and its dodging, while seemingly random, actually was following a somewhat irregular pattern, a pattern he now recognized and could reasonably predict. He had been waiting for the right moment and he was confident that it was about to come. Tyrunt's next leap would bring it in quite close to Carbink, leaving it vulnerable if Carbink was positioned right.

Tyrunt's jump reached its apex and it began a downward trajectory. Quickly estimating where it would land, Brock made his move.

"Carbink quick move left and then use Smack Down on Tyrunt as it nears the ground!"

Instantly getting what Brock was trying to do and seeing the danger, Grant called out a command of his own. "Try to twist out of the way Tyrunt." Yet he knew it was probably for naught. While Tyrunt was a fast runner and a high jumper, there wasn't really much it could do to direct its fall and avoid what was coming.

Brock's Carbink positioned itself and then launched itself into the air, connecting with Tyrunt and delivering a devastating blow. The sickening crunch of the two Pokémon colliding made everyone wince. Serena, still a bit unused to the extreme conditions of high level battles, went white, squeezing Ash's hand tightly. Even Bonnie, normally enthused by intense battling, expressed worry.

With a thud Tyrunt impacted the battlefield, kicking up some dust. It lay prone on its side, motionless. Carbink's landing, while still hard, was smoother, with its body was upright and facing directly at its opponent.

"Oh no," gasped Serena, "that looks like it really hurt! I hope Tyrunt is okay."

"Are you alright Tyrunt," called Grant, expression clouded with care for his Pokémon partner.

"Ty," echoed the Royal Heir Pokémon. It rolled over and, using its legs, gradually raised its body back upright. While still able to battle, it was evident that it had taken a massive amount of damage. One more big hit would finish it, something as clear to Grant as it was to Brock.

"Great job Carbink," Brock said. His tone was suffused with pride, something that made Carbink all the more determined to win this for its new trainer. Smiling, he turned to Grant. "You put up a great fight Grant. You and Tyrunt were definitely a difficult wall to climb. But now it's time to take the last step over. Carbink, Smack Down one last time!"

"Car," the Jewel Pokémon responded, hurling itself straight for Tyrunt.

Grant knew he had only one chance. Under ordinary circumstances, he could easily count on Tyrunt to execute successfully what he was about to ask it to do, but considering the amount of damage Tyrunt had taken, it'd be risky.

"Alright Tyrunt, wait until it gets in close and then grab it by the side with Crunch!"

Carbink took only a few seconds to reach Tyrunt, but it was long enough. Twisting its body just right, Tyrunt avoided the blow and instead grabbed Carbink midair, chomping down with Crunch and gripping it securely in its jaws. What's more, Carbink was positioned with its front facing outward, meaning any ranged attack it sent would be directed at empty battlefield rather than at Tyrunt.

"Well Grant, that was a great counter. I guess I was a bit too rash, or should I say, a bit too Ash."

At this terrible pun the spectators on the sideline groaned.

"He's as bad at making jokes as you are naming your inventions," Bonnie chortled.

Clemont however was trying to contain his own mirth. "What, I thought his comment was quite clever."

"You would," Bonnie responded, a mix of exasperation and playfulness evident in her voice. She really loved her brother but sometimes he could be so…_Clemont._

"But," Brock continued, "Crunch isn't very effective against Carbink. You could try to throw us off like you did Onix, but we'll be able to free ourselves by then. And when that happens, it won't take more than one attack to end this."

"You're right Brock," Grant smiled, "we do have to do something. So how about this…Tyrunt, look up and use Draco Meteor to send Carbink as far into the air as you can!"

At this Tyrunt began charging its Draco Meteor attack. As an orange light began to fill its mouth, Serena turned to her boyfriend, confused.

"Ash, I don't get it, I thought Dragon type moves wouldn't do anything to Carbink."

Ash stared at the scene, wondering much the same. After a few seconds of silence, with a start he realized exactly what was about to happen. Something must have been evident on his face because Serena's next question was quick and to the point.

"Well?"

"It won't do any damage, but it's still a strong attack, strong enough to send Carbink flying. And believe me, when Carbink finally does hit the ground...well, it'll be bad for it no doubt."

Brock had made the same realization as well. "Carbink, get out of there!"

But Brock's cry was too late. Draco Meteor finished charging and the orange ball of light shot up straight into the sky, carrying Carbink along for the ride. High up in the air it exploded, raining down flaming balls of energy on the battlefield. Yet this was not the only thing falling to Earth, for among the debris everyone quickly picked out the shape of a falling Pokémon. They all watched helplessly as Carbink plunged back toward the ground. The scene evoked in Brock and Ash the memory of Carbink's capture. Yet as quickly as thoughts of this moment came they were pushed away as Carbink impacted the battlefield with an earth-shattering roar, one that was noticeably louder than Tyrunt's a few moments earlier. The force of the impact kicked up a substantial amount of dust, occluding everyone's vision.

As the dust cloud faded and battlefield became fully visible again, seven pairs of human eyes fixed their gaze on the point of impact. There Carbink lay motionless in the center of a small crater, giving no evident signs of consciousness. After a moment the referee made it official: Carbink was unable to battle, giving Grant the victory.

The match over, Brock absented himself from the trainer's box and began to run straight for his fallen Pokémon. Reaching the spot he squatted down and lifted up his new Pokémon friend, cradling it in his arms. Its eyes fluttered open, staring up into the face of its trainer, causing Brock to smile. "You did a great job Carbink.," he started. Holding up the Dusk Ball, he continued. "Now get a good long rest." With that he triggered the ball's return process and Carbink was converted back into energy. Turning, he looked to Grant and smiled ruefully. "Well, I guess I spoke a bit too soon. But great battle Grant! You really bring out the true essence and power of Rock type Pokémon."

Grant smiled back. "Thanks Brock, I really appreciate it. And great job yourself. For someone who hasn't battled much recently you did really well. I have to say I learned a lot from you."

Brock nodded. "Same here Grant. We'll have to battle again sometime. And if you're in Lumiose City anytime in the next few months feel free to drop me a line."

"You bet!" The two trainers clasped hands, an expression not just of their shared passion for Rock types, but of a new friendship forged by the fires of battle. Although Brock was disappointed with his loss he couldn't say he was terribly surprised. _"I'll just have to make sure to get some practice in when I have some time. After all, you never know when it will come in handy."_ Letting go of Grant's hand, Brock turned and began to make his way back over to his friends. Riding the elevator back down, they all congratulated Brock on a job well done. He and his Pokémon had given it their all. The match had been a display of high caliber Pokémon battling that had been well worth the wait even if the end result was not what they all had hoped for. Only Bonnie remained quiet, a sullen expression on her face.

As they exited the Gym and began to walk back down the mountain, Bonnie couldn't contain herself any longer. "I can't believe you lost," Bonnie moaned, visibly upset.

"Well I can," replied Brock, unfazed by his defeat. "Grant is facing challengers all the time. It's been a while since I've battled at all, let alone as frequently as he must. A few days of practice can't overcome that, especially when you are just getting to know a new Pokémon. But, even when I was a Gym Leader I was hardly unbeatable. No one is. Just ask your brother."

"He's right," Clemont replied, nodding in agreement. "You've certainly seen me lose my share of battles. Not even Champions like Diantha win every battle."

"Still, I was really hoping Brock would win," she pouted.

Brock laughed. "So was I. But it was a good battle; I learned a lot and Carbink and I have gotten closer. At the end of the day, that makes me happy. When you become a trainer yourself you'll understand that defeats can often teach you more than victories."

Everyone nodded in agreement, even Serena. Sighing, Bonnie reluctantly nodded as well. Then, expression brightening, she said, "Well I can't wait to get started. Tenth birthday here I come!" With that she took off running down the mountain, everyone else hurrying after.

* * *

><p><strong>This was honestly one of the hardest chapters for me to write and actually the last one to be completed. Action has never been my forte and this is one area where, as a genre, television outstrips the written word. I hope I managed to convey to you accurately the images I am picturing in my head.<strong>

**I know of course that we all wanted Brock to win, especially since he never seems to get his due in the anime; hopefully the "sequel" will remedy this. I think that if Brock had faced Grant at peak battle performance the result would have been quite different. But Brock's skills must have atrophied somewhat considering he's been focusing on his studies; he certainly makes some questionable calls in this battle. In the anime, where skill, knowledge of the arena, and level of relationship with your Pokémon actually matter (unlike the games where type advantage is hard to overcome) on this day the balance narrowly goes to Grant despite type matchups clearly favoring Brock.**

**There are some choices I've made in this battle that may seem controversial. First, the waterfall and the water surrounding the Gym can both be seen briefly in the anime; there's also a nice bench by the falls in the game. Furthermore, being able to recall and then send back out the same Pokémon is also something that has been depicted during the Battle Frontier, albeit under different circumstances. Finally, we've seen moves that will not directly damage a Pokémon be used (notably by Paul) to deal massive damage indirectly. What I did with Draco Meteor here is in keeping with that; all the damage Carbink suffered was due to hitting the ground, not from the move itself.**

**After this just one more chapter and then the epilogue. I'll try to publish both in another two-part update sometime before Christmas. **


End file.
